Syrian women refugees in Jordan: opportunity in the gig economy

The gig economy refers to labour-market activities that are coordinated via mobile platforms, which are increasingly bringing together workers and purchasers of their services locally and globally. Since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011, Jordan’s almost 660,000 registered Syrian refugees account for nearly one in ten people in that country. The ability of refugees to secure a livelihood to support themselves and their families is a paramount policy concern for at least two reasons. Refugees, particularly women, face significant barriers in accessing the paid labour market. Moreover, humanitarian assistance is typically short-term in nature and subject to funding shortfalls. The gig economy may offer a potential solution by expanding paid work opportunities across national boundaries and enabling workers to overcome several constraints to engagement. This report is a first effort to bring together evidence from Jordan and elsewhere to assess the extent to which the gig economy provides an option to improve the labour market prospects of Syrian women refugees in Jordan.