Amman, Dec. 10 (Petra)- The Jordan Strategy Forum (JSF) issued a policy brief on Wednesday titled "Productivity Levels in Jordan: Paradoxes between Reality and Aspiration," offering an in-depth reading of productivity levels in the Jordanian economy.
The brief provided a comparative analysis of productivity indicators in Jordan against global and Arab country figures, based on data and estimates from the International Labour Organization (ILO). The study found that Jordan ranked fifth globally in terms of equivalent working hours compared to productivity.
The summary included an analysis of productivity across major economic activities to identify key influencing factors and present practical recommendations to raise economic efficiency and competitiveness.
The JSF analyzed labor productivity according to the main economic activities. The results showed that the Mines and Quarries (Mining) sector led all sectors in worker productivity, recording approximately JD46.1 per working hour, followed by the Agriculture sector at JD37.8 per hour.
The brief highlighted that the relationship between the number of working hours and the average productivity per worker hour is a fundamental issue in analyzing labor market efficiency. It affirmed that despite the common perception that long working hours may increase productivity, economic literature and international comparisons indicate the relationship is not necessarily direct (positive correlation).
To understand this relationship in an international economic context, the JSF analyzed 2023 data from 83 countries across various regions using two variables: the average weekly working hours per worker and the average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per working hour, according to ILO data. Preliminary results showed that the overall trend indicates an inverse relationship between the two variables: as weekly working hours increase, the worker's productivity per hour tends to decrease, and vice versa.
The JSF recommended a review of organizing working hours within companies to ensure efficient time usage and higher productivity. This includes shifting towards an organizational culture based on performance and outputs rather than time attendance, alongside developing incentive systems that promote creativity, self-commitment, mastery, and quality of work.
It called for the continuous development of human capital by enrolling workers in specialized training courses focused on digital skills (computer and software), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and managerial skills related to time, cost, and project management. This is aimed at specifically raising the productivity of the labor force and economic activities.
The forum also emphasized the importance of conducting specialized analytical studies at the sectoral level to accurately diagnose weaknesses and low productivity, identifying core factors affecting work efficiency within each sector. These factors include structural or institutional culture, operating models, skills, or utilized technology systems, enabling the design of more targeted and effective interventions, programs, and policies to raise sectoral productivity.
//Petra// AF
