PM announces national council to address unemployment, create jobs

AMMAN — Prime Minister Omar Razzaz on Thursday announced his decision to form a national employment council with his chairmanship and the deputy chairmanship of the Minister of Labour.

Labour Minister Nidal Bataineh said that the ministry, in cooperation and coordination with other stakeholders, will be tasked with organising the labour market and vocational guidance, as well as providing jobs for Jordanians inside and outside the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra reported, citing a ministry statement. 

Through launching the national pact for employment, which aims at adopting reform policies and procedures, Bataineh said that the ministry seeks to create jobs for Jordanians, provide youth with the skills and expertise necessary to meet market requirements and apply government incentives for employment. 

He added that these drivers are considered a reference for successive governments to guarantee sustainable public-private partnership in reaching solutions to poverty and unemployment.

The council will also contribute to outlining the general policy for employment in the Kingdom, proposing programmes and plans on the national level to reduce unemployment rates and following up on labour market studies aiming to identify gaps between higher education outcomes and market demand, Bataineh noted. 

The minister stressed that the council is “not a new independent commission”, but rather a “national team” of stakeholders who are experts in labour market needs and will play a role in evaluating specialisations at higher education institutions.