Job: Consultancy to Comprehensively Revise the Unemployment and Employment Survey for Jordan

Location: Amman
Deadline: Monday, 09 September 2013 

Description

CONSULTANCY TO COMPREHENSIVELY REVISE THE UNEMPLOYMENT AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY FOR JORDAN

Location :

Amman, JORDAN

Application Deadline :

09-Sep-13

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Post Level :

International Consultant

Languages Required :

English  

Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start)

20-Sep-2013

Duration of Initial Contract :

10 working days over a period of 30 calendar days

Expected Duration of Assignment :

10 working days over a period of 30 calendar days

Background

The Government of Jordan (GoJ) realizes the importance of conducting periodic Employment and unemployment surveys and since the establishment of the Department of Statistics (DoS) several Employment and Unemployment Surveys were conducted. DoS conducts the Employment and Unemployment Survey on quarterly basis yearly where the survey is conducted on February, May, August, and November of every year.

The objectives of the Employment and Unemployment Survey are aplenty since it’s investigating one of the most important challenges in the Kingdom, unemployment. Additionally, there are other problems regarding the mismatch between the supply and the demand of the labor market and the education outputs.

The provision of the employment and unemployment indicators help to diagnose the labor market situation and define the problems and gaps to help the planners and the decision makers in articulating the appropriate solutions.

The main objectives of the Employment and Unemployment Survey are to:

• Identify the demographic, social and economic characteristics of population and manpower;
• Identify the occupational structure and economic activity of employed persons, as well as their employment status,
• Identify the reasons behind the desire of the employed persons to search for a new or additional job;
• Measure the economic activity participation rates (the number of economically active population divided by the population of 15+ years old);
• Identify the different characteristics of the unemployed persons;
• Measure unemployment rates (the number of unemployed persons divided by the number of economically active population of 15+ years old) according to the various characteristics of the unemployed, and the changes that might take place in this regard;
• Identifying the most important methods and means used by unemployed persons to get a job, in addition to measuring durations of unemployment for such persons;
• Identify the changes that might take place overtime regarding the above-mentioned variables.

The Department of Statistics carries out the Employment and Unemployment Survey four times a year on quarterly basis where the survey covers about 13000 households nation-wide. The sample households are selected according to scientific basis, using a stratified multi-stage cluster sampling design with 50% rotation of the households’ sample.

The sample of Employment and Unemployment Survey represents the Kingdom on the national level, (governorates, the three Regions (Central, North and South), and the urban/rural areas). The sample of this survey is based on the frame provided by the data of the Population and Housing Census, 2004. The Kingdom was divided into strata, where each city with a population of 100,000 persons or more was considered as a large city. The total number of these cities is 6. Each governorate (except for the 6 large cities) was divided into rural and urban areas. The rest of the urban areas in each governorate were considered as an independent stratum. The same was applied to rural areas where it was considered as an independent stratum. The total number of strata is 30.

In view of the existing significant variation in the socio-economic characteristics in large cities in particular and in urban ones in general, each stratum of the large cities and urban strata was divided into four sub-stratum according to the socio- economic characteristics provided by the population and housing census with the purpose of providing homogeneous strata.

The frame excludes the population living in remote areas (most of who are nomads); in addition to that, the frame does not include collective dwellings, such as hotels, hospitals, work camps, prisons etc. 
DoS is currently using (PDA) technology in the collecting and processing data.

This assignment falls within the framework of the Project “Support to Poverty Analysis and Monitoring – thinking differently about poverty and the poor – phase II” supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose and scope of the assignment:

As mentioned above, the Jordanian labor market is facing several challenges; among them are the increasing numbers of the non-Jordanian workers, the shortage of information on the numbers of the non-Jordanians residing in the country and the shortage of information on the non-Jordanian workers in the Jordanian labor market.

To solve these problems and to provide the government with an accurate and the necessary information on the non-Jordanian workers, the Department of Statistics is planning to enlarge the scope of the Employment and Unemployment Survey which is conducted four times per year on quarterly basis in order to cover the non-Jordanians residing and working in the kingdom and to help DoS in publishing the results of the Labor Force Survey as an absolute numbers not only as percentages.

Accordingly, the tasks of the suggested consultant should be:

• To find out the methods for conducting the survey to cover the non-Jordanian employment;
• To find out the methods aiming at capturing the non-Jordanian workers residing in the non-conventional housing units;
• To suggest modifications on the questionnaire that enable the department of Statistics to cover the needed information on the non-Jordanian workers;
• To help the Department of Statistics in preparing an accurate estimates of the non-Jordanian proportions and numbers statistically and to help DoS in publishing the results of the Labor Force Survey as an absolute numbers not only as percentages.

Deliverables and timeline: 

The consultant should produce a comprehensive report upon finalizing the mission tasks to show all recommendations on methods for conducting the survey to cover the non-Jordanian employment, methods to capture the non-Jordanian workers residing in the non-conventional housing units, modifications on the questionnaire that enables DoS to cover the needed information on the non-Jordanian workers, and help DoS in preparing an accurate estimates of the non-Jordanian proportions and numbers statistically.

The consultancy duration is four weeks of signing the contract for ten working days which includes one in country mission (five days).

Competencies

• Strong communication, and interpersonal skills;
• Demonstrated research and analytical skills;
• Strong command of English both written and spoken;
• Good knowledge of the UN system.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master in Science Degree in Statistics, Economics, Social Sciences or any other related field.

Experience:

• At least 10 years practical experience in statistics and emerging economic and social issues, with particular focus on labor statistics and labor analysis;
• Sample designing and Surveys revision experience (Employment and Unemployment Surveys);
• Knowledge of SPSS and/or Stata systems;
• Employment and Unemployment Survey expert and/or management experience and others;
• Familiarity with developing country statistical measures;
• Previous working experience in development projects in similar courtiers;
• International Experience on statistical projects in developing countries funded by the UN agency and/or EU and/or World Bank, and/or ILO or by donor states on bilateral basis;
• Knowledge of Jordan economic and social situation and Jordan statistics is an advantage.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English. Arabic is an asset.

Computer skills:

• Excellent computer and word processing skills.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

More Info and Application