One in every five person in Iran’s workforce is unemployed according to recent estimates by economic experts.

ILNA, Iran’s Labour News Agency, reports that while Iran’s Statistics Bureau estimated Iran’s workforce at 24 million last spring, the new statistics indicate that five million people are currently unemployed in Iran. Unemployment, at 18 percent, has reached its highest point in recent years.

Iran defines its workforce between the ages of 10 and retirement. Even one hour of work per day would constitute employment according to Iran’s Statistics Bureau. The Statistics Bureau also announced the average unemployment amongst the younger workforce to be at 30 percent. With 74 percent of its population under 35 years of age, Iran has the youngest population make up in the world.

ILNA reports that economic experts maintain that the unemployment rate can only be countered with over eight percent economic growth but the highest economic growth in recent years has never surpassed 5 percent, which was a consequence of rise in the price of oil.

Hamshahri newspaper reports that unemployment amongst Iranian women is twice that of men, which attests to gender discrimination in the workplace.

source: Radio Zamaneh