(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN - The unemployment rate in the Kingdom dropped to 21.5 per cent in the third quarter of 2024, reflecting a 0.8 percentage point decrease compared with the same period in 2023, according to the quarterly report by the Department of Statistics (DoS) released on Tuesday.

Unemployment among males declined to 18.3 per cent, a 1.5 percentage point reduction from the third quarter of 2023, while female unemployment rose to 33.3 per cent, marking a 1.6 percentage point increase during the same period, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Compared with the second quarter of 2024, male unemployment decreased by 0.6 percentage points, while female unemployment saw a rise of 2.3 percentage points.

The report also showed that 58.8 per cent of the unemployed hold a high school diploma or higher, while 40.8 per cent have qualifications below high school level.

At the governorate level, Ma'an recorded the highest unemployment rate at 24.3 per cent, while Aqaba registered the lowest at 16.3 per cent, highlighting an 8-percentage-point disparity between the two governorates.

Employment rates among those aged 15 years and older stood at 26.9 per cent, while the figure for individuals aged 23 years and older reached 32.5 per cent.

The report also noted that female economic participation in Jordan remains below the Arab regional average of 20 per cent.

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