The Minister of Labor, Dr. Khaled Al-Bakar, stated that the inspection campaign launched by the ministry has resulted in 26,000 expatriate workers regularizing their status, though some workers are still refusing to comply with the law.
اضافة اعلان
During a dialogue session organized by the West Irbid Municipality on the "Labor Law and Workers," attended by the mayor of Irbid, Jamal Al-Bataineh, head of the National Guidance and Media Committee in the Parliament, Firas Al-Qablan, and several investors and employers, Al-Bakar noted that the number of valid work permits reached approximately 310,000 permits by the beginning of the last third of March.
He explained that around 50,000 foreign workers have not regularized their status since 2021, denying claims of rising wages for foreign labor and a shortage of workers in the market due to the inspection campaign.
Al-Bakar added that around 50,000 foreign workers took leave just before Ramadan to spend the holy month with their families. Since the beginning of the year, the number of foreign workers caught violating the law and deported has not exceeded 3,000.
The Minister emphasized that the ministry is keen on organizing the labor market and creating a comprehensive and clear labor market data system in the Kingdom.
He pointed out that by the beginning of 2026, there will be no foreign workers in municipalities working as "country workers," especially as the culture of "shame" has nearly disappeared among young Jordanians.
**Labor Ministry’s Broader Role**
Dr. Al-Bakar explained that the ministry's role extends beyond organizing foreign labor. It also involves protecting children by preventing their employment in the labor market, ensuring they remain in schools, as well as making the labor market more attractive and improving the work environment to make it safe and healthy across various sectors.
He added that manipulating the minimum wage by paying workers below the set rate is unacceptable, particularly to encourage the hiring of more Jordanians and support women’s economic participation in the workforce.
The ministry, he said, does not accept private sector establishments ceasing operations due to a lack of labor, noting that it opened the door for employers to regularize their foreign labor situation in the last two months of 2024. Following this, the ministry launched a joint inspection campaign with the Ministry of Interior and Public Security Directorate at the beginning of 2025, which is ongoing.
**Memorandums of Understanding**
Al-Bakar also highlighted that the ministry signed several memorandums of understanding with some economic sectors to provide labor for these industries, including workers with free work permits in certain sectors, provided these sectors ensure that foreign workers do not enter other sectors illegally. He stressed that foreign workers will not be allowed to become subcontractors under any pretext.
**Training for Youth and Private Sector Collaboration**
The ministry is keen on collaborating with the private sector to equip young people with marketable skills through the establishment of training academies in various regions of the Kingdom. The first academies will be in the south, in Aqaba and Al-Hasa, to provide young people with the necessary skills for existing investments in the area, aiming for a gradual replacement of foreign labor with Jordanian workers.
Al-Bakar emphasized that every district in the Kingdom has a vocational training center, with over 10,000 Jordanian youth currently enrolled in these centers to acquire the skills needed in the labor market. He also noted that the vocational training centers enjoy significant attention from His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein, who recognizes the importance of training and preparing youth for the skills of the future.
**Support for Youth Entrepreneurship**
The Minister further mentioned that the Employment Development Fund offers loan windows for young people under 35 to provide them with easy, interest-free loans and grace periods to establish their own businesses. He also encouraged employers to benefit from the national employment program, which provides wage support for workers through the program for six months, as well as contributions to social security subscriptions, transportation allowances, and additional payments to encourage women’s participation in the workforce.
**West Irbid Municipality’s Role and Investor Input**
On his part, the mayor of West Irbid, Jamal Al-Bataineh, stressed the importance of training Jordanian youth in the skills required by the labor market. He praised the current government's approach to working and engaging with citizens in the field, listening to their demands in various areas.
Al-Bataineh explained that the dialogue session aimed to open up discussions between the Minister of Labor, investors, and employers on various labor-related issues to enhance the developmental and service role of municipalities.
Investors and attendees emphasized the need for broader dialogues with employers to find balanced solutions that support the employment of local workers while maintaining the stability and growth of investments, particularly in the construction sector.
