The cultural and social deputy of the Minister of Labor of the Islamic Republic has reported numerous statistical limitations in the area of social damages, especially concerning workers. Mohammad Chakhsian, the Deputy for Cultural and Social Affairs of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare in Ebrahim Raisi's government, confirmed in an interview with the ILNA news agency that the information and data from this ministry regarding social damages are 'not accurate.' He added, 'Our statistical surveys within the working community are usually very outdated, and unfortunately, there is little new work in this area.' Various institutions of the Islamic Republic have always tried to keep key and important statistics regarding the assessment of the political, economic, and social conditions of society out of reach or classified, so that universal access, especially for researchers, is not possible. On February 19, Vahid Shariat, the head of the Iranian Scientific Association of Psychiatrists, expressed concern over the 'high suicide rates' among residents or medical specialty assistants in the country, criticizing the Ministry of Health for keeping accurate statistics 'confidential' and not announcing them. In recent years, a significant number of workers have committed suicide due to reasons such as lack of job security, absence of social insurance, prolonged non-payment of wages, or dismissal from work, with accurate statistics on them being unavailable due to their 'confidential' nature, and only some cases have been publicized. On November 8, Farshad Momeni, an economist and faculty member at Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran, addressed officials, stating, 'Publish baseless statistics to boost morale, but do not hide the truth,' and noted, 'CIA data about us is more comprehensive than our official data.' The newspaper 'Ham-Mihan' also reported on August 24 that the head of the Welfare Organization of the Islamic Republic avoided announcing the number of 'disabled newborns' and declared that statistic as 'confidential.' The remarks from the Deputy Minister of Labor come as Mohammad Abbasi, the Deputy Minister of Interior of the Islamic Republic, announced on August 12 a ban on 'announcing damage statistics' by government agencies, stating that these statistics would be announced by this institution. The head of the Social Affairs Organization of the Islamic Republic emphasized that 'contradictory statistics regarding social damages are mentioned by some officials and deputies.' The inaccuracy of the statistics and information provided by the officials of the Islamic Republic has led to many research data or statistical summaries based on them being questioned by the scientific community and domestic and international activists in various fields.
Deputy Minister of Labor Admits: We Have Statistical Limitations in the Area of Social Damages Among Workers
The Deputy Minister of Labor in Iran has acknowledged significant statistical limitations regarding social damages among workers, highlighting outdated data and a lack of new research. This admission reflects broader issues of transparency and reliability of official statistics in Iran, which have been criticized for being classified or misleading. The situation raises concerns about the mental health crisis among workers and the government's handling of social issues.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The Deputy Minister of Labor admitted that statistical data regarding social damages among workers is outdated and inaccurate, reflecting a broader issue of transparency in Iran's official statistics. This admission comes amid rising concerns about mental health and suicide rates among workers due to poor working conditions.
- Official statistics on social damages are often classified or misleading.
- High suicide rates among workers are linked to job insecurity and lack of social support.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran faces a mental health crisis exacerbated by economic instability, with many workers experiencing job insecurity and inadequate support. The lack of reliable statistics complicates efforts to address these issues effectively.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%