The chairman of the Board of Jordan Chamber of Industry, Ayman Hatahit, said the industrial sector created 11,000 jobs during 2013, compared to 8,000 that it had created during 2012.
According to Hatahit, the manufacturing sector proved to be the one that employed the most number of people---4,646---of which 90 percent were Jordanians.
He also said in a statement on Tuesday that the industrial sector faces a series of challenges due to internal and external factors, including the consequences of the financial crisis and the global economic situation. Also, while demand for power came down at home, energy and electricity prices rose.
Despite these challenges, Hatahit added, the industrial sector has promised to pursue a policy of making the Jordanians the primary engine of development, stressing the need to provide employment opportunities to create an economic model which is capable of generating new jobs.
Hatahet pointed out that the industrial sector now employs more than 18 percent of the workforce, mostly Jordanians. The number of workers is estimated at around 236,000, employed across 18,000 facilities.