» Alkasasbeh, Y. (2024). Inequality of higher educational opportunity – the role of circumstances among the Jordanian people. Applied Economics, 1–17.
Abstract:
This paper investigates the role of background circumstances in shaping individual opportunities in higher education in Jordan, for the whole population as well as for key subgroups based on gender and the geographical region of birth. I apply the Dissimilarity-Index de Barros et al., (2009), (2008), the Shapley decomposition Deutsch and Silber, (2008); Shorrocks, (2013) and the Human Opportunity index which was proposed by Barros, Vega, and Saavedra (2008). After implementing logistic models using both publicly available waves of the Jordan Labor Market Panel Survey JLMPS (2010 and 2016). My findings suggest that higher education attainment and the mean years of completed education have expanded for the whole population, as well as for all subgroups, despite the low coverage rate in both waves. Unequal opportunities in higher education are somewhat moderate in Jordan and are mainly explained by parental education, father’s occupation, and sector of work, with much less impact from gender, number of siblings, and the region of birth.
» Alkasasbeh, Y. (2024). Inequality of Opportunity in Monthly Wages in the Jordanian Labor Market. The Economic Research Forum (ERF) Working Paper No. 1759
Abstract:
This paper quantifies the inequalities of opportunities in monthly wages in the Jordanian labor market, drawing on Roemer (1993)’s distinction between circumstances and other unobserved/unexplained variables (luck, endowed genetics, culture, native ability) which for convenience we call effort. I borrow the parametric approach developed by Bourguignon, Ferreira, and Menéndez (2007) to calculate the shares of “unfair” inequality and analyze the main drivers of inequality of opportunity for the entire population and gender/birth region subgroups, using the nationally representative Jordan labor market panel surveys for 2010 and 2016. Also
complementary analyses of inequality of opportunity was conducted; the stochastic dominance test and generalized lorenz curves Lefranc, Pistolesi, and Trannoy (2008), which allowed to visualize the magnitude of the inequality of opportunities. Inequality of opportunity shares are small and
decline in the second survey wave. Women and both north and south-born subgroups experience greater unfair inequality. The main drivers across the sample are parental education, father’s occupation, and employment sector. Stochastic dominance tests confirm advantages for individuals with publicly employed fathers, white-collar fathers, highly educated parents, and men.
» Women’s Agency in Jordan: The Impact of Marriage and Motherhood Moderated by Education
Abstract:
Marriage and motherhood represent key milestones in commitment and family responsibilities. This paper explores
how women's agency in Jordan is influenced by these roles, as well as the education level. It highlights three aspects
of instrumental agency: decision-making, financial autonomy, and freedom of movement, along with intrinsic
agency for married women. The sample consists of women between the ages of 15 and 59 from the 2010 and 2016
Jordan Labor Market Panel Surveys. Findings suggest that motherhood reduces women's likelihood of participating
in household decision-making yet enhances their probabilities of mobility and intrinsic agency. The change in the
impact of motherhood on both decision-making and intrinsic agency remains insignificant, with education acting as
a moderating factor. Marriage increases the probability of achieving greater financial independence but restricts
mobility when compared to single women under similar conditions. Education significantly amplifies the positive
effects of marriage on financial autonomy but does not change the effect of marriage on the freedom of mobility.
Assessing Fertility in the Context of Women’s Empowerment and Education in Jordan
Gender Norms and Employment Dynamics in Jordan: Decades of Change (2010–2025)