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Female Labor in Jordan: A Systematic Approach to the Exclusion Puzzle

Author

Listed:
  • Semiray Kasoolu

    (Center for International Development at Harvard University)

  • Ricardo Hausmann

    (Harvard's Growth Lab)

  • Tim O'Brien

    (Center for International Development at Harvard University)

  • Miguel Angel Santos

    (Center for International Development at Harvard University)

Abstract

Women in Jordan are excluded from labor market opportunities at among the highest rates in the world. Previous efforts to explain this outcome have focused on specific, isolated aspects of the problem and have not exploited available datasets to test across causal explanations. We develop a comprehensive framework to analyze the drivers of low female employment rates in Jordan and systematically test their validity, using micro-level data from Employment and Unemployment Surveys (2008-2018) and the Jordanian Labor Market Panel Survey (2010-2016). We find that the nature of low female inclusion in Jordan’s labor market varies significantly with educational attainment, and identify evidence for different factors affecting different educational groups. Among women with high school education or less, we observe extremely low participation levels and find the strongest evidence for this phenomenon tracing to traditional social norms and poor public transportation. On the higher end of the education spectrum – university graduates and above – we find that the problem is not one of participation, but rather of unemployment, which we attribute to a small and undiversified private sector that is unable to accommodate women’s needs for work and work-family balance.

Suggested Citation

  • Semiray Kasoolu & Ricardo Hausmann & Tim O'Brien & Miguel Angel Santos, 2019. "Female Labor in Jordan: A Systematic Approach to the Exclusion Puzzle," CID Working Papers 365, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    • Handle: RePEc:cid:wpfacu:365
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alessandra Fogli & Raquel Fernandez, 2009. "Culture: An Empirical Investigation of Beliefs, Work, and Fertility," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(1), pages 146-177, January.
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    5. Ricardo Hausmann & Tim O'Brien & Miguel Angel Santos & Ana Grisanti & Jorge Tapia, 2019. "Jordan: The Elements of a Growth Strategy," Growth Lab Working Papers 131, Harvard's Growth Lab.
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    11. Ragui Assaad & Rana Hendy & Moundir Lassassi & Shaimaa Yassin, 2020. "Explaining the MENA paradox: Rising educational attainment yet stagnant female labor force participation," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(28), pages 817-850.
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    Cited by:

    1. Farah Hani & Miguel Angel Santos, 2021. "Diagnosing Human Capital as a Binding Constraint to Growth: Tests, Symptoms and Prescriptions," Growth Lab Working Papers 168, Harvard's Growth Lab.
    2. Doruk, Ömer Tuğsal & Pastore, Francesco, 2022. "A Tale of Parallel Processes of Gender (In-)Equality: How Big Is the Glass Ceilings for MENA Women?," IZA Discussion Papers 15152, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Ricardo Hausmann & Patricio Goldstein & Ana Grisanti & Tim O'Brien & Jorge Tapia & Miguel Angel Santos, 2019. "A Roadmap for Investment Promotion and Export Diversification: The Case for Jordan," CID Working Papers 374, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    4. Adely, Fida Issa J. & Mitra, Ankushi & Mohamed, Menatalla & Shaham, Adam, 2021. "Poor education, unemployment and the promise of skills: The hegemony of the “skills mismatch” discourse," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    5. Tim O'Brien & Thảo-Nguyên Bùi & Ermal Frasheri & Fernando Garcia & Eric S. M. Protzer & Ricardo Villasmil & Ricardo Hausmann, 2022. "What Will It Take for Jordan to Grow?," Growth Lab Working Papers 185, Harvard's Growth Lab.

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    Keywords

    Skills & Human Capital;

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