Amman, October 7, 2025
The Jordan Labor Watch affirmed that ensuring decent working conditions for all workers in Jordan is the true entry point to strengthening social protection and achieving sustainable economic growth.
In a statement issued on the occasion of the World Day for Decent Work, observed annually on October 7, the Jordan Labor Watch affiliated with the Phenix Center for Economic Studies explained that Jordan has been experiencing a state of chronic economic stagnation for more than 15 years. Weak domestic demand and the decline in household purchasing power are among the most prominent factors hindering growth and exacerbating unemployment, which remains among the highest globally, reaching 21.3% in the second quarter of this year.
The Jordan Labor Watch stressed that the way out of this stagnation lies in investing in workers’ rights, ensuring fair wages, and strengthening a comprehensive social protection system. These measures, it noted, are among the main drivers of economic growth. International experiences demonstrate that economies with more equitable income distribution are better able to withstand crises and achieve sustainable growth.
It further explained that continuing to raise wage levels, linking the minimum wage to annual inflation rates, and reducing indirect taxes would enhance domestic demand, stimulate economic activity, and create new job opportunities.
The statement pointed out that the government’s recent launch of the National Social Protection Strategy for 2025-2033 represents an important opportunity to correct course. However, it emphasized that the challenge does not lie in drafting strong strategic documents, but in moving effectively toward implementation.
One of the key factors for the strategy’s success, the Jordan Labor Watch noted, is expanding the umbrella of social security to cover all categories of workers particularly those in the informal sector, the self-employed, and platform-based workers most of whom remain outside the social protection system.
The Jordan Labor Watch highlighted that nearly half of Jordan’s workforce is still not covered by social security, and that the current insurance tools have failed to attract them due to their high costs. This situation calls for the development of new insurance mechanisms that are more inclusive, flexible, and affordable.
It also warned against the frequent amendments to the Labor and Social Security Laws, noting that some of these changes have weakened decent work standards and allowed the private sector to reduce social protections for young people. Such policies, it stressed, represent a regression from hard-won Jordanian achievements over decades and contradict Jordan’s commitments under relevant International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions.
On occupational safety and health, the Jordan Labor Watch observed that enforcement levels continue to decline, especially in the informal sectors. While the issuance of new occupational safety and health regulations is a positive step, the absence of social dialogue in their preparation and weak enforcement limit their effectiveness.
The statement concluded by affirming that decent work is neither a developmental luxury nor merely a UN slogan, but a human right and a driver of any economy built on fair and sustainable foundations. It called on the government to review its economic and social policies in a way that restores balance between business interests and workers’ rights, ensuring that social protection, fair wages, and safe working environments become tangible rights for all workers.