Nearly 100,000 children in Jordan forced into labor

Marking World Day Against Child Labor on Thursday, Hamada Abu Nijmeh, Director of the Workers' House Center, warned of a continuing rise in child labor across Jordan amid weak enforcement and the absence of effective long-term solutions.

Speaking to Roya, Abu Nijmeh said the latest official figures from the Department of Statistics, issued in 2016, estimated over 75,000 working children in the country. However, he noted that current estimates by the Workers’ House suggest the number is nearing 100,000. A significant portion of these children, he added, are engaged in hazardous jobs such as carpentry, metalwork, and other manual trades.

- Inspections falling short -

Abu Nijmeh criticized labor inspection efforts, describing them as largely ineffective. “Only 203 violations are recorded annually,” he said, “a figure far too low to reflect the true scale of the problem or act as a deterrent.”

He explained that the Ministry of Labor is legally responsible for enforcing child labor regulations, with penalties starting at JD 500 and doubling for repeat offenses. However, he stressed that such fines are insufficient to discourage violators. He also pointed to the role of the Ministry of Social Development, which supports families forced to rely on child labor and handles cases involving child beggars, who are often part of the broader labor issue.

- Poverty driving child labor -

While Jordanian labor law allows children over 16 to work under non-hazardous conditions, Abu Nijmeh noted that these legal safeguards are frequently ignored, especially in the informal sector, such as street vending and seasonal jobs.

He identified poverty as the primary driver of child labor, a crisis made worse by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, which left many families without income. Jordan’s three largest cities, Amman, Zarqa, and Irbid, as well as Mafraq and other areas, report the highest rates of working children, he said.

According to Abu Nijmeh, agriculture employs nearly 30 percent of working children, exposing them to serious health and safety risks. Many of these children are not covered by Social Security, leaving employers solely responsible for any injuries or compensation.

He concluded by calling for a new national survey to update statistics on child labor and urged the government to take greater responsibility by supporting impoverished families, addressing the issue at its root rather than merely its symptoms