Khaberni - The Ministry of Labor’s Child Labor Limitation Inspection Department dealt with 154 child labor cases in the first ten months of the current year, including 6 females.
Regarding nationality, there were 79 Jordanian children, 62 Syrian children, one Egyptian child, and the remainder were of other nationalities, according to Al-Ghad.
The Ministry conducted 6041 inspection visits during the same period, including inspection campaigns, routine visits, and visits based on complaints or reports.
The Ministry recorded 37 warnings to employers and 85 violations related to child labor. Additionally, there were 26 reports concerning child labor, and no cases were transferred based on a non-compliance protocol in cooperation with the Better Work department.
There were 92 complaints about child labor to the inspection directorates and departments, with 78 of these complaints settled with employers to achieve workers' rights, and currently, there are no ongoing complaints.
According to Mohammed Al-Ziyoud, the ministry's spokesperson, the number of working children falls within the annual averages after emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, with the ministry committed to conducting inspection campaigns to limit child labor, which remains a priority.
In turn, the Workers' Home Center confirmed that the number of working children in Jordan is worryingly increasing. Their number was about 76,000 in 2016, including 45,000 involved in hazardous jobs. Current estimates indicate that this number has surpassed 100,000 children after the COVID-19 pandemic, raising the rate to about 25%.
Child labor primarily continues due to ongoing poverty and unemployment and the expansion of the informal labor market, amidst approximately 418,000 unemployed and around 2.5 million citizens being supported by these unemployed individuals.
The most significant sectors employing children included agriculture at 32%, commerce at 28%, industry at 11%, and construction at 9%. Most of these jobs pose a risk to them, while 82% began working before age 16, and 45% work more than 36 hours a week, with most earning only about 5 Jordanian Dinars per day.
