Amman – Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights has affirmed that child labour in Jordan continues to represent a serious challenge at both the human rights and development levels. The issue is not limited to its illegality under national law, but is intertwined with complex structural factors — including poverty, unemployment, the expansion of the informal economy, and weak social protection — which push thousands of children into the labour market at the expense of their fundamental rights to education, health, and healthy development.
Tamkeen asserts that the persistence of child labour, despite notable legislative progress, necessitates a serious review of enforcement and oversight mechanisms and calls for addressing the economic and social root causes that compel families to rely on children's income.
These findings were presented in a position paper issued by Tamkeen on the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour, observed annually on 12 June, titled: "Child Labour in Jordan: Between the Legal Framework and Implementation Challenges." The paper draws on a review of national legislation and policies, economic and social data, and an analysis of 67 documented cases handled by Tamkeen between 2025 and the end of May 2026 — with the aim of delivering an evidence-based reading of the nature of child labour and the gap between legal texts and practical reality.
I. Economic Drivers and Structural Labour Market Imbalances
The paper reveals that economic pressures and structural imbalances in the labour market constitute the most significant factor exacerbating child labour. Key indicators from the first quarter of 2026 include:
● Overall unemployment rate: 16.1% of the total population
● Unemployment among Jordanians: 21.1%, compared to 8.7% among non-Jordanians
● Unemployment among Jordanian women: 32.7%, compared to 5.2% among non-Jordanian women
● Unemployment among Jordanian men: 17.9%, compared to 9.7% among non-Jordanian men
● Economic participation rate among Jordanians: 34.5% overall, with only 15.2% among Jordanian women
Tamkeen argues that rising unemployment fuels child labour through two interrelated channels: reducing household income to the point where a child's contribution becomes an acute economic necessity, and creating a supply of employers willing to hire children at below-market wages.
II. The Refugee Dimension
The number of registered Syrian refugees in Jordan reached 380,990 as of the end of May 2026. With approximately 67% of registered refugees living below the poverty line — amid fragile living conditions, declining humanitarian assistance, and mounting household debt — the likelihood of children being pushed into the informal labour market increases significantly as part of family coping strategies. This dynamic entrenches cycles of poverty and marginalisation, and undermines prospects for sustainable development.
III. The Education Crisis
Child labour is inextricably linked to a troubling education crisis. A joint report by the Ministry of Education and UNICEF revealed that 112,016 children are out of school at the basic education level — representing 6.2% of the targeted age group — including more than 50,000 Syrian children. Tamkeen considers school dropout and absenteeism to be among the most critical pathways leading directly to unsafe work environments, with long-term consequences for children's health, social integration, and economic prospects.
IV. The Informal Economy as an Enabling Environment
Child labour thrives within what the paper terms "grey employment spaces" — created by the expansion of Jordan's informal economy, estimated to account for between 54% and 59% of the total national workforce. This vast sector, operating largely outside effective inspection, institutional oversight, and deterrence, generates sustained employer demand for flexible and low-cost labour. This structural reality limits the effectiveness of regulatory mechanisms and continuously reproduces the phenomenon.
V. The Legislative Framework and the Implementation Gap
Jordan possesses an advanced legislative framework that includes:
● Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), particularly Article 32
● ILO Convention No. 138 on the Minimum Age for Employment
● ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour
● Commitment to SDG Target 8.7
● Constitutional binding force of international treaties under Constitutional Court Decision No. 1/2020
● Article 73 of the Jordanian Labour Law, which categorically prohibits the employment of children under 16
● The Child Rights Law of 2022
● The Juvenile Protection Regulation of 2024
Despite this framework, Tamkeen affirms that a wide and persistent gap exists between legislation and implementation — attributed to fragmented oversight responsibilities across government entities, limited logistical and human resources within labour inspection departments, and the inherent difficulty of reaching workers in informal sectors.
VI. Field Data: 67 Documented Cases
Tamkeen emphasises that these figures do not constitute a random sample representative of the overall national scale of child labour, but rather a "service access sample" — reflecting the minimum documented threshold and the most frequently recurring violation patterns, shaped by fear of reporting and barriers to accessing protection mechanisms.
Nationality: Syrian children accounted for 43 of the 67 documented cases (64.2%), compared to 22 cases involving Jordanian children (32.8%) and two cases involving Palestinian children (3%). These proportions reflect elevated levels of economic and social vulnerability, particularly among refugee families.
Geographic Distribution: Mafraq governorate recorded the highest number of cases with 22 (32.8%), followed by Irbid with 19 cases (28.4%) and Zarqa with 16 cases (23.9%). The three governorates collectively accounted for 85.1% of all documented cases, reflecting the concentration of poverty, unemployment, population pressure, and informal economic activity in these areas. Amman recorded 8 cases (11.9%) and the Azraq area recorded 2 cases (3%).
Gender: Males accounted for 57 cases (85.1%) and females for 10 cases (14.9%). Boys were predominantly found in markets, shops, restaurants, scrap collection, and loading and unloading. Girls appeared more frequently in beauty salons, agricultural work, and service and caregiving roles. Tamkeen emphasises that the lower number of documented cases involving girls does not necessarily reflect a lower prevalence of the phenomenon, but may be linked to the inaccessibility of closed work environments and systemic underreporting.
Sectors: Child employment was heavily concentrated in informal economy sectors: trade and retail (21 cases, 31.3%); restaurants and food services (12 cases, 17.9%); service and craft work (9 cases, 13.4%); manufacturing, loading and unloading (9 cases, 13.4%); scrap collection (7 cases, 10.4%); and agriculture (6 cases, 9%). One case was linked to begging and one to the formal sector.
Violations: Documented cases revealed that working children were subjected to multiple violations, including excessive working hours, denial of rest days, low wages, and non-payment of financial entitlements. A number of children were found working in hazardous occupations — including mechanics, metalwork, carpentry, and agriculture — exposing them to physical risks associated with sharp tools, chemical substances, and heavy lifting. Some children also experienced verbal, physical, and psychological abuse with lasting effects on their development and wellbeing.
VII. Tamkeen's Recommendations
Tamkeen calls for a comprehensive national strategy built on the following pillars:
● Strengthen social protection systems for the most vulnerable families and expand conditional cash transfer programmes tied to school enrolment
● Improve education quality, reduce dropout rates, and develop flexible reintegration pathways for out-of-school children
● Develop age-appropriate vocational training programmes for children legally permitted to work
● Strengthen the labour inspection system by increasing inspector numbers and expanding oversight to cover informal and agricultural sectors
● Impose more effective and dissuasive penalties on entities employing children in violation of the law
● Establish a comprehensive national monitoring, reporting, and rapid response system for child labour cases
● Provide protection, rehabilitation, psychosocial support, and reintegration services for children withdrawn from the labour market
Conclusion
Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights affirms that protecting children from economic exploitation is not merely a policy option, but a constitutional, legal, and ethical obligation. The convergence of 21.1% unemployment among Jordanians, 67% poverty among refugees, 112,016 children out of education, and the documented patterns of exploitation and violations represent an urgent alarm call — demanding a comprehensive national response that addresses root causes, provides genuine alternatives for families, and ensures that every child in Jordan grows up in a safe environment that fully respects their rights and upholds their human dignity.