Iran's Parliament Report: Unemployment Rate to Reach About 16% in 1400

The Research Center of the Iranian Parliament announced in a report that in the year 1400, in the "best" scenario, meaning a 5% annual growth in Iran's economy, the number of unemployed individuals will exceed 4.1 million, resulting in an unemployment rate of 15.9%. The report also noted an increase of 5.6 million university graduates between 1384 and 1392, while the employment rate for young people has decreased, with over 2.2 million young individuals becoming unemployed. According to the report, in the "worst case" scenario, with only a 1% annual growth from 1394 to 1400, the number of unemployed will rise to over 4.7 million, leading to an unemployment rate of 18.2%. The Research Center stated that achieving an unemployment rate of 10% or lower requires an economic growth of over 5%. Fereydoun Khavand, an economics professor in Paris, previously stated to Radio Farda that these figures only account for absolute unemployment, or those who, based on International Labor Organization standards, did not work even one hour in the week prior to the survey. Meanwhile, Ali Rabei, Iran's Minister of Labor, on September 9, 2014, emphasized the need for an average annual economic growth of 7% to tackle the employment issue, warning that if no action is taken, the number of unemployed could reach 10 million by 1400. The Central Bank reported a 3% economic growth rate for the year 93. The economic growth rates in years 91 and 92 were -6.8% and -1.9%, respectively. The Research Center also reported a decrease of about 3.8 million in the population aged 15 to 24 from 1384 to 1392. During this period, the number of university graduates doubled, increasing from 5.6 million to 11.2 million, indicating "increased pressure on educated youth" to enter the job market. However, the report stated that youth employment consistently declined from 1385 to 1393. The number of educated workers increased from 2.9 million in 84 to 4.6 million in 92, yet youth employment dropped from 4.4 million in 84 to 2.2 million in 93, meaning over 2.2 million young people became unemployed in just 8 years. Previous reports from Iranian government agencies indicated that the youth unemployment rate is more than double the national average. The Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare stated that in some academic fields, up to 45% of graduates are unemployed. Earlier, Ali Tayebnia, the Minister of Economy, mentioned that about 8.5 million young people will be seeking jobs in the near future.