Government to ‘Jordanize’ labor force
It seems that Jordan is following in the footsteps of some Gulf countries by attempting to localize its labor force. Some of the Gulf countries that followed this example include Saudi Arabia and Qatar both of which are constantly working to "Saudi-ize" and "Qatar-ize" their workforce. Here is an excerpt from the recent report:
The government will impose "a significant increase" on the fees levied on foreign workers applying for annual work permits in an effort to raise employment levels among native Jordanians, a source at the labour ministry said on Monday. Simultaneously, the ministry plans to train Jordanian workers in order for them to better compete with their expatriate counterparts. "The ministry is keen to enhance workers’ competitiveness and performance through its programmes and schemes," said Labour Minister Bassem Salem. According to a ministry report issued last week, 15.5 percent of working-age Jordanians -– some 200,000 people -– are currently unemployed. This includes approximately 144,000 males and 55,000 females. Source: [IRIN]
I wonder if this new approach has anything to do with the recent National Labor Committees report on the status of foreign workers in Jordan’s QIZ’s.
Okay,