Oman– The Jordanian Ministry of Labor announced the suspension of the recruitment of non -Jordanian workers as of yesterday, Thursday, after the end of the 3 -month allowance, which was opened to meet the needs of some sectors.
In an exclusive interview with Al -Jazeera Net, the ministry’s spokesman, Mohamed Al -Zyoud, stated that the recruitment of expatriate workers will not be reopened again until after conducting careful and comprehensive studies of the labor market, to assess the actual needs.
Al -Zyoud explained that the decision aims to organize the labor market, and to reduce the violations of the violating expatriate workers, in addition to providing greater employment opportunities for citizens, in light of the high rates Unemployment.
Parallel to the decision to stop recruitment, the Ministry of Labor stressed the continuation of inspection campaigns in cooperation with the Interior and the Public Security Directorate to control any violating expatriate workers, and to take legal measures against employers who illegally employ them.
Al -Zyoud stressed that this step also seeks to provide comprehensive protection for all workers, whether in terms of rights or health care, as a medical examination is required within the recruitment procedures, in addition to the necessity of carrying a valid work permit. He also stressed that the labor law does not distinguish between the Jordanian and non -Jordanian worker in terms of legal protection.
Official numbers reveal the size of the gap
Official statistics show that average Unemployment General in Jordan About 21.4% of 2024, distributed by 18.2% among males and 32.9% among females.
The number of expatriate workers in the Kingdom is estimated at 1.57 million workers, but workers in the organized economy do not exceed a quarter of this number.
The data indicates that only 306,000 expatriate workers carry valid work permits, while about 41,000 workers have not renewed their permits since 2021.
As for employment in the irregular sector – that is, that violation that operates without official registration – is estimated at about 1.2 million workers.
Al -Zyoud told Al -Jazeera Net that the authorities have intensified their inspection campaigns since the beginning of this year, which resulted in the deportation of more than 3 thousand expatriate workers in violation during the first three months of the year.
Do Jordanians block the gap?
The spokesman for the Ministry of Labor believes that the common idea that the Jordanian is not working is no longer accurate, explaining that the culture of “defect” has begun to decline, as the holders of certificates are working in transportation applications and driving professions, and there are Jordanians who accept the profession of “the worker of the homeland” and other jobs that were previously considered unwanted.
On the other hand, Hamada Abu Najmah, Director General of the Jordanian Center for Workers’ Rights, “Labor House”, expresses a different point of view, as it confirms that many Jordanians do not accept work in some sectors due to the absence of legal and social protections in them or their weakness. He adds that some professions do not have appropriate or attractive training and qualification programs for Jordanians, which prompts employers not to rely on national workers in the absence of adequate training.
Abu Najmah stresses that “the solution lies in improving the work environment, enhancing rights and protections in sectors that do not attract Jordanians, and provide appropriate training and qualification programs. Without this, it will be difficult to replace Jordanians in expatriate workers in many sectors.”
On the last decision, Abu Najma says in his statement to Al -Jazeera Net that the decision to stop recruiting non -Jordanian workers in its comprehensive form “raises anxiety” despite his understanding of government motives. It indicates that the decision to ignore the differences between the sectors, especially those that depend on seasonal workers such as the construction and agriculture sectors, which may lead to a severe labor deficiency, a decline in productivity, and a rise in costs, which reflects negatively on the market and the consumer.
It also warns that the comprehensive embargo may harm more committed to employers and workers, rather than contributing to reducing violations and brokerage market.
He adds that “these decisions, although they appear to be administratively easy, did not prove their effectiveness previously, but rather contributed to the exacerbation of unorganized work problems.” It indicates that real reform requires flexible policies based on sectoral studies and modern data, which includes studied recruitment rates, and achieves a balance between combating exploitation and meeting market needs, as well as improving the work environment and training national employment.
Abu Najma concluded by inviting the government to review the decision and engage in a participatory dialogue to develop a balanced employment policy that guarantees the stability of the labor market, and preserves the rights of all parties.
Administrative decisions without real production
For his part, economist Hossam Ayesh believes that the decision to stop the recruitment of non -Jordanian workers is not a new trend, but rather an extension of previous attempts aimed at solving the unemployment problem through “replace the employment” instead of motivating Economic growth Actual.
Ayesh notes that the jobs targeted by these government policies are often marginal, do not require high skills, and do not provide professional paths suitable for holders of certificates or even high school graduates.
It is considered that the decision “carries a populist dimension” through which the government is trying to show its ability to find job opportunities, but it is not based on real growth in productivity or expanding economic activity.
He adds that many of the professions occupied by expatriate workers today originally arose due to the existence of this employment, and they were not part of the structure of the local economy, which makes the replacement of Jordanians difficult, due to the different wages, work culture, and productivity levels.
Ayesh concludes by emphasizing that “achieving sustainable job opportunities is not through isolated administrative decisions, but rather by linking these decisions to integrated economic plans, expanding training and qualification programs, and improving the work and wage environment, until jobs become a real and tempting option for Jordanians.”
Previous policies and prohibited professions
It should be noted that the Jordanian Cabinet had adopted a similar policy in 2023, which ruled to stop the recruitment of expatriate workers, with specific exceptions to the sectors it needs, as the exclusion of the sector workers sector, workers with specialized skills, the clothing sector and textiles (within the qualified industrial areas).
In the same context, the Ministry of Labor has issued lists of professions that non -Jordanians are prohibited from working with, which included a letter and handicrafts such as barber salons, furniture upholstery, gold and jewelry formulation, along with bakeries, sweets stores, carpentry, blacksmithing, heritage costume sewing, and their professions.