Jordan - New Work Opportunities for Women (NOW) Pilot Impact Evaluation 2010-2013

Throughout the Middle East, unemployment rates of educated youth have been persistently high and female labor force participation, low. Researchers from the World Bank studied the impact of a randomized experiment in Jordan designed to assist female community college graduates find employment. One group of graduates was given wage subsidy vouchers that could be redeemed by their employers for up to six months for a value equivalent to the prevailing minimum wage; a second group was invited to attend 45 hours of soft skills training; a third group was offered both interventions; and the fourth group formed the control group. To conduct the study, researchers chose eight public community colleges with the largest female enrolment numbers. Four colleges were in Central Jordan (Amman University College, Princess Alia University College, Al-Salt College, Zarqa University College) and four in Northern and Southern Jordan (Al-Huson University College for Engineering, Irbid University College, Ajloun University College, and Al-Karak University College). Four individual level survey questionnaires were administered during the impact evaluation study. The baseline survey was conducted in July 2010, the midline - in April 2011, the first endline was carried out in December 2011, and the second endline - in January 2013.

整个中东地区，受过教育的青年失业率长期居高不下，女性劳动参与率则处于低位。世界银行（World Bank）的研究人员针对约旦一项旨在帮助女性社区学院毕业生就业的随机对照实验开展了影响评估。实验将受试毕业生分为四组：第一组获发工资补贴券，雇主可凭券兑换最高达6个月、等同于现行最低工资标准的补贴；第二组受邀参加45小时的软技能培训；第三组可同时享受两项干预措施；第四组作为对照组。为开展本研究，研究人员选取了8所女性招生规模最大的公立社区学院，其中4所位于约旦中部（安曼大学学院、阿丽亚公主大学学院、阿尔萨尔特学院、扎卡大学学院），另外4所分布于约旦北部与南部（侯赛因工程大学学院、伊尔比德大学学院、阿杰隆大学学院以及卡拉克大学学院）。本次影响评估共发放4份个体层面调查问卷，基线调查于2010年7月开展，中期调查于2011年4月进行，第一轮终线调查于2011年12月完成，第二轮终线调查则于2013年1月实施。