Jordan: Selected Issues
IMF Staff Country Reports, July 18, 2022
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- Jordan: Selected Issues
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Bibliographic details
- Published: July 18, 2022
- Series: IMF Staff Country Reports
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400215582.002
Main findings on female labor force participation
- The paper explores the main obstacles related to low female labor force participation in Jordan.
- Lack of access to safe and reliable public transportation can hamper labor market choices for women.
- Gender-based legal restrictions may prevent women from participating in the labor market.
- Structural variables and regulations are identified as the main drivers of the gender gap in participation and employment outcomes in Jordan.
- Regression results show a statistically significant relationship between the structural variables and regulations and the gap in both participation and employment.
- Comparison with the Middle East and North Africa region indicates that gender disparity in labor market participation in Jordan is not due to access to basic services such as education and health but is rather based on structural and legal impediments.
- Particularly, structural variables as well as regulations help explain the gap in participation rates between men and women.
Policy implications and emphasis
- Addressing safe and reliable public transportation is implied as a constraint on women’s labor market choices.
- Revisiting gender-based legal restrictions is highlighted as necessary to improve women’s labor market participation.
- Structural reforms and regulatory changes are emphasized as central to closing the gender gap in participation and employment outcomes.
Content in this bundle
- Jordan: Selected Issues; IMF Country Report No. 22/222; June 15, 2022