Over the last three years, the garment sector in Jordan has been through several external shocks. The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent measures to control the spread of the virus first led to a large drop-off in orders in 2020, to then a substantial increase in orders in 2021 that has stretched the workforce thin. However, despite the significant changes in external conditions in the last two years, survey results covering workplace concerns, mental well-being and perception of stakeholders have been remarkably consistent on average. Yet significant differences exist between groups of workers in the sector – particularly between the experiences of Jordanians and migrant workers.
This brief presents key findings and updated results from surveys of workers, supervisors, and managers in the Jordanian garment sector that Better Work Jordan conducted in July and August 2021. The brief covers two main areas: worker concerns in the garment sector and the perception of various stakeholders towards one another. In particular, the brief covers responses that have changed over time and responses from newly added questions, which give additional insights into worker experiences in the sector. Finally, the brief includes a focused area on results from the newly introduced supervisors’ survey.