Labor Watch - The unemployment rate during the first quarter of this year was 18.4 per cent, up 0.2 per cent from the same period last year.
According to the Department of Statistics, the unemployment rate for males in the first quarter of this year was 16 per cent compared to 27.8 per cent for females. Thus, the unemployment rate for males rose by 2.1 per cent while it decreased among females by 5.2 per cent compared to the same quarter of 2017.
The DoS showed that the rate of unemployment was high among university degree holders (unemployed individuals with a bachelor's degree or higher divided by the workforce for the same academic qualification), reaching 24.1per cent compared to other educational levels,
It noted that 54.6 per cent of unemployed hold a high school certificate and higher, and 45.4% of the total unemployed had educational qualifications lower than the secondary level.
The unemployment rate depending on the educational and gender levels was varied, where the unemployed males who hold the bachelor degree and higher 26.0 per cent compared to 77.1 per cent for females.
Additionally, the highest unemployment rate was found in the age group of 15-19 years and 20-24 years, with 47.7% and 37.6% respectively.
At the governorate level, the highest unemployment rate was recorded in Ma'an governorate, with 21.9 per cent, while the lowest rate was Al Karak with 15.9 per cent.