Employment
The Labour Law 1996, amended in 2019 to strengthen equal pay and flexible work
Labour Law No. 8 of 1996 governs private employment. The 2019 amendments prohibited pay discrimination, regulated flexible working and extended coverage to previously excluded categories including agricultural workers.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — National. Free zones and development areas apply the same labour law.
Governing law
- Labour Law No. 8 of 1996, as amended in 2019
- Social Security Law No. 1 of 2014
- Domestic Workers Regulation No. 90 of 2009
In practice
The 2019 amendments were substantive: equal pay for equal work became enforceable, the definition of wage discrimination was tightened, and agricultural workers were brought within the law by regulation. Jordan's labour market depends heavily on migrant workers, particularly in garment manufacturing and domestic work, and the employer-tied permit system creates the structural vulnerability that ILO Better Work reporting documents. The 2009 domestic workers regulation was an early attempt to bring that category within the law, but enforcement inside private homes remains the weakest point.