ABSTRACT
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has been no exception to the liberalization attempts and experiences which have taken place across the developing world over the last few decades. Ever since, the country has partnered and established regional and international programmes and agreements to foster progress and economic development, as can be seen from the several bilateral and multilateral trade and investment agreements signed with Arab countries and the rest of the world. Despite the liberalization experiences since the 1980s, the impact of trade liberalization on labour markets and poverty remains largely unclear. Although, theoretically speaking, developing countries can potentially gain from economic and trade liberalization, they may also have much to lose when liberalization programmes are poorly crafted or fail to take into account workers’ needs.
