New Wave of Unemployment in Latest Statistics from Iran’s Statistical Center
The latest statistics from Iran’s Statistical Center have addressed the issue of unemployment. According to these statistics, in autumn 2017, the unemployment rate of Iran’s economically active population was 11.9 percent. Across the country, women are more unemployed than men.
Iran’s Statistical Center announced that the country’s economically active population is approximately 26.5 million people, comprising 40.1 percent of the country’s total population. The number of men in the economically active population is four times that of women. Approximately 64 percent of the country’s economically active population consists of men, and approximately 16 percent consists of women.
The center also announced that among major sectors of economic activity, the services sector with 50.1 percent holds the largest employment share, followed by the industrial sector (32.6 percent) and agriculture (17.2 percent) in subsequent stages.
Iran’s Statistical Center released the results of the country’s unemployment survey for autumn 2017. Based on the results of Iran’s Statistical Center survey, in autumn of the current year, 11.9 percent of the country’s economically active population, which comprises the population aged 10 and above, are unemployed (more than 3 million people). Accordingly, approximately 10 percent of men (more than 2 million people) and approximately 19 percent of women (less than 1 million people) from the country’s economically active population are unemployed.
Unemployment in urban areas of the country at 13.2 percent is higher than in rural areas at 8.1 percent. The results of this statistic show that the unemployment rate in autumn 2017 decreased by 0.4 percent compared to the same season of the previous year (autumn 2016).
Based on Iran’s Statistical Center statistics, the unemployment rate varies across different provinces of Iran, and Kermanshah with 25.6 percent contains the country’s highest number of unemployed. The provinces of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari (21.1 percent), West Azerbaijan (15 percent), Khuzestan (14.6 percent), and Yazd (13.9 percent) are respectively ranked after Kermanshah.
Unemployment Among Young Iranians
Iran’s Statistical Center has set the minimum age of the economically active population in the country at 10 years, and considers all individuals aged 10 and above who can “participate in the production of goods and services” as part of the economically active population.
As a result, many children in Iran are deprived of attending school and experiencing childhood, and their mental and physical health is threatened by various forms of work. In many countries and international organizations, child labor is considered an exploitative activity.
The unemployment rate among young Iranians is very high. Iran’s Statistical Center reported the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 as 28.4 percent, which includes 24.5 percent of young men and 42.3 percent of young women. This youth unemployment rate was also higher in urban areas than in rural areas.
Source: DW
