AMMAN — A World Bank-supported employment initiative has helped create more than 61,000 job opportunities across Jordan, with women and young people accounting for the majority of beneficiaries, according to a recent implementation report.

 

The report, issued in May, reviewed progress under the Jordan Support to Private Sector Employment and Skills Project, which supports the implementation of the National Employment Programme (NEP) through wage subsidies, on-the-job training and skills development measures aimed at boosting private sector hiring.

 

The project, implemented by the Ministry of Labour, was approved in late 2021 with the objective of increasing private sector employment in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among women and young people.

 

According to the World Bank, women represent more than half of all beneficiaries, while youth participation has remained a central focus of the programme.

 

The initiative operates across all governorates and seeks to improve employability while encouraging private sector job creation.

 

The report highlighted encouraging long-term employment outcomes among programme beneficiaries.

 

While the project's current indicator shows that 56 per cent of jobseekers who completed the full subsidy period remained employed six months after support ended, the World Bank noted that this measure may not fully reflect sustained employment due to fluctuations in social security contributions and prevailing economic conditions.

 

To better capture longer-term outcomes, the bank has proposed replacing the current indicator with a measure tracking employment over a 12-month period following programme support.

 

Under the proposed methodology, 75.68 per cent of beneficiaries remained employed for at least six months during the year after receiving support.

 

The figure stood at 72.68 per cent for women, 75.91 per cent for youth and 75.99 per cent for beneficiaries from families receiving assistance through the National Aid Fund.

 

Data from the report showed that more than 28,800 jobseekers have received subsidies under the programme so far.

 

Women accounted for 51.27 per cent of subsidy recipients, while youth aged 18 to 29 represented more than 76 per cent of beneficiaries.

 

The programme has also provided on-the-job training and wage subsidies to more than 15,000 jobseekers, while over 11,300 beneficiaries have received soft-skills and occupational safety and health training.

 

The report showed high satisfaction levels among beneficiaries and participating businesses.

 

More than 90 per cent of beneficiaries expressed satisfaction with the support received, while nearly 97 per cent of companies reported positive experiences with the programme. Female beneficiary satisfaction reached almost 100 per cent.

 

The initiative has also supported private sector employers, with 1,185 companies benefiting from the programme to date.

 

The World Bank noted that the project continues to maintain its implementation mechanisms, including targeting systems, grievance redress procedures and environmental and social risk management measures.

 

The report also pointed to progress in environmentally focused employment.

 

The share of programme beneficiaries employed in green jobs reached 6.51 per cent, exceeding the project's target of 5 per cent.

 

The category includes jobs related to renewable energy, water efficiency, waste management, sustainable transportation and climate resilience measures.

 

A restructuring approved in August 2025 extended the project's closing date to July 31, 2028, providing additional time to enhance results and expand its contribution to employment outcomes in the Kingdom.

 

Financial data showed that $64 million of the project's $112 million financing package had been disbursed by May 2026, representing 57 per cent of total funding.

 

The World Bank rated progress towards achieving the project's development objectives as "moderately satisfactory", while the overall implementation progress and risk ratings remained unchanged from previous assessments.