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The consultant will draft a detailed analytical report on skills, labor market gaps, and job quality in Jordan. This report will provide evidence-based recommendations to policymakers for improving workforce development, ensuring social justice in employment policies, and promoting decent work.
Remotely/ UN-House ESCWA
3 months
1. Background and Objective The world of work is undergoing profound and accelerated transformations driven by megatrends that are reshaping global and regional labour markets. Globalization, rapid technological advancements, demographic shifts, and environmental changes, while offering new opportunities, also present increased challenges for workers, employers and policymakers. These challenges can in fact become obstacles to social justice unless rights-based labour and skills development policies are developed and implemented in full. In particular, as economies shift towards greener and more digitally enabled sectors, it becomes more imperative to leave no one behind in this transformation. Environmental sustainability and technological advancement should not exacerbate existing inequalities but rather create opportunities for all. Because of these megatrends, the demand for specific skills and competencies has changed, rendering some traditional job roles and tasks obsolete while giving rise to new ones. If the related institutions and processes to anticipate skills demand, to amend training programmes, and to effectively deliver them to all are not in place or underperforming, increased skills mismatch leads to exacerbated levels of underemployment and unemployment and missed economic opportunities. This, in turn, undermines the pursuit of social justice in the Arab region, already characterized by high levels of poverty, vulnerability and inequality. Overall, a comprehensive approach founded on the principles of social justice, tripartite governance and collaboration, is required to address the current and potentially increasing skills mismatches. Such an approach entails reimagining education and TVET systems that respond to both market demand and learners’ aspirations. It entails promoting lifelong learning and ensuring the accessibility of inclusive training opportunities to all. Principles for this approach are enshrined in International Labour Standards, more specifically Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142), Human Resources Development Recommendation, 2004 (No. 195), and the recent Quality Apprenticeships Recommendation, 2023 (No. 208). The ILO Skills and Lifelong Learning Strategy, 2030, adopted in 2022 by ILO Governing Body, also provides clear guidance on priorities. Skills are not merely a means to gain employment; they play a central role in promoting decent work and fostering inclusive societies based on social justice. Indeed, when competencies are appropriately matched with job opportunities, and adequately valued, workers can claim their fair share of the wealth they have helped to generate, based on equality of opportunities. Investing in market relevant, inclusive and well-targeted skills development and lifelong learning systems therefore support individuals’ access to decent work and foster inclusive societies. This contributes in turn to social justice, which the ILO, through its Global Coalition for Social Justice, and ESCWA through its existing regional program on social justice, emphasize as a priority that also requires the involvement of the multilateral system. Over and above, the attainment of social justice, as also stated in the ILO’s Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, requires putting “workers’ rights and the needs, aspirations and rights of all people at the heart of economic, social and environmental policies”. This vision closely aligns with ESCWA’s definition of social justice which entails “equal rights and access to resources and opportunities for all, men and women, paying particular attention to the removal of barriers that hinder the empowerment of disadvantaged groups to fulfil their potential to participate in decisions that govern their lives”. Social justice is therefore based on the principles of equality, equity, rights and participation. With the aim of looking more closely into the skills demanded in the Arab region, ESCWA has developed a “Skills Monitor” to help Arab countries track the demand for skills in their labour markets. The monitor uses big data mining, machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyze job postings from over 120 online platforms, to ultimately identify the skills that are in high demand, as well as the skills that are becoming obsolete. The ESCWA Skills Monitor is designed to help Arab countries make informed decisions about education and training policies, promote building diversified skills-based economies, and feed into labour market information systems with real time data on skills, and detect potentially growing skills. Building on the data generated by the Monitor and considering the importance of skills development and lifelong learning for formalization, just transition and the promotion of decent work and social justice more broadly, the ILO and ESCWA are collaborating on a joint initiative to better utilize the data generated by the Skills Monitor for effective policy and programme design. ESCWA and ILO , are conducting a comprehensive country-level analysis in Jordan to examine labor market trends, employment conditions, and skills demand. This study will utilize ESCWA’s Skills Monitor, labor force surveys, and other data sources to assess job quality, employment benefits, wages, and social justice considerations in workforce development. To support this initiative, ESCWA is seeking a consultant to draft a detailed analytical report on skills, labor market gaps, and job quality in Jordan. This report will provide evidence-based recommendations to policymakers for improving workforce development, ensuring social justice in employment policies, and promoting decent work. 2. Duties and Responsibilities The consultant will be responsible for conducting in-depth research and drafting a comprehensive report in English that analyzes Jordan’s labor market challenges and opportunities. Specific tasks include: o Reviewing the current Annotated Outline: Submitting an initial framework outlining key sections, methodologies, and relevant data sources for ESCWA’s review. o Drafting the Report: Producing a zero draft that includes analysis of labor market trends, job quality, skills mismatches, and policy gaps. o Revising Based on Feedback: Incorporating inputs from ESCWA and stakeholders to refine the report. o Ensuring Analytical Rigor: The report should include case studies, policy frameworks, quantitative insights, and best practices relevant to Jordan.
A Master’s degree or higher in labor economics, social studies, economic development studies, or related fields is required. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Minimum 5 years in labor market analysis, employment policy, workforce development, and social justice in employment is required. Expertise in labor economics, forecasting skills, and workforce policy analysis is required. Knowledge in NLP-Reg-X is a Plus is required. Experience with big data analytics, AI-driven labor market tools is a plus is required. Familiarity with TVET systems, just transitions, and informal-to-formal work transitions. is required.
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English and fluency in Arabic is required. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.
Additional Information
Not available.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.
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