Jordanian burns 'useless' PhD certificate in protest at lack of jobs

A Jordanian national set fire to his PhD certificate in front of the Prime Ministry building in Amman on Wednesday to protest a lack of jobs in the country.
1 min read
23 May, 2019
Jordan's labour market continues to face significant vulnerabilities. [Getty]
A Jordanian national set fire to his PhD certificate in front of the Prime Ministry building in the capital Amman on Wednesday to protest a lack of jobs in the country.

YouTube video of the incident, which has been shared widely on social media, showed Salameh Al-Momani holding his certificate as it burns to ashes.

Al-Momani, who holds a PhD in accounting and has 15 years of professional experience, said that he was burning his certificate because it is "useless."

The disgruntled academic's protest was in reaction to a job advertisement, posted by the university from which he graduated, asking for PhD students who graduated from foreign universities, he said.

Read more: Jordan reshuffles cabinet to tackle economic challenges

Jordan's labor market continues to face significant vulnerabilities, with an unemployment rate of around 18 percent in November 2018.

A report released by the government last month stated that 15.7 per cent of people in Jordan, or about one million citizens, live in poverty, with households earning approximately $350 per month or less.

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