8 Jerash residents’ work and livelihoods This chapter will explore how ex-Gazans in Jerash camp meet the dual challenge of a limited formal job market outside the public sector combined with a location far away from larger population centres such as Irbid and particularly the capital Amman, where most jobs are found. The role of UNRWA as an ‘alternative public sector’ is briefly touched upon, before we turn to the private sector opportunities available within the camp and in the rest of Jordan. UNRWA as alternative public sector UNRWA employment, although much more limited, appears to be viewed as an alternative to government employment for ex-Gazans, with 40% of all ex-Gazans citing UNRWA as the preferred employer and 47% of ex-Gazans in Jerash camp doing so. Working for UNRWA offers many of the same benefits of public employment, including pension and health insurance, and 96% of ex-Gazans working for UNRWA reported being employed on a permanent basis. Finding work in UNRWA’s administration or as a teacher, even if only a substitute teacher, is thus widely viewed as a good opportunity for university graduates, with a starting salary of 460 to 470 JD per month or around 23 to 25 JD per day for substituting 90. Being generally barred from teaching in public schools, working as a teacher for UNRWA — as nearly two thirds of ex-Gazans employed with the Agency do — was repeatedly mentioned by interviewees as a key rationale for investing heavily in higher education. Whilst UNRWA is not able to fully compensate for the lack of government employment, exGazans, and particularly those in Jerash camp, are overrepresented amongst UNRWA employees. In Jerash camp, nearly two thirds (64%) of the residents employed by UNRWA, and three quarters of the women, work inside the camp itself. For women, teaching in UNRWA schools, especially when travel outside of Jerash camp is not required, offers a culturallyacceptable workplace (along with CBOs and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs)). UNRWA is consequently a significant employer for women: 17% of all women who are employed inside Jerash camp work for UNRWA (whereas 7% of men do). Explaining in more detail, one woman said 91: Most of us women face restrictions or are forbidden to work — except in schools — because of customs. Girls, even if they’re university graduates, can’t go to Amman for work because of the conservative culture [...]. So, the only job is UNRWA schools. 90 91 Male, age 22, Jerash camp, 26 January 2016. Focus group discussion with women, Jerash camp, 21 October 2015. ‘Just getting by’ Ex-Gazans in Jerash and other refugee camps in Jordan 89