Two Million Iranians Have 'Incomplete Jobs'

The Tasnim news agency has reported that the number of 'incomplete jobs' in Iran, meaning those who work less than 44 hours a week, has increased to 2 million people. The Statistical Center defines incomplete employment as all workers who are either present at work or temporarily absent for economic reasons such as job stagnation, inability to find work with more hours, being in an off-season, etc., and who work less than 44 hours and are willing and ready to take on additional work in the week. According to Tasnim, labor market activists believe that most of this group may earn less than other workers due to working fewer hours. However, the news agency noted: 'Some of them may also hold positions where they can earn even more than other workers with fewer working hours per week.' The figure of 2 million 'incomplete jobs' has been released while, prior to 2004, an unemployed person in Iran was defined as someone who had a job for 2 days in the week under review. Since then, during the eighth government, the definition of the unemployment rate has changed. According to the new definition that became common, anyone who works at least 1 hour a week is considered employed. Although the Statistical Center of Iran stated that the change in the unemployment rate during the eighth government was in line with aligning the country's unemployment statistics with the standards of the International Labor Organization. Criticism of Hassan Rouhani's employment policies has been raised as the figure of 2 million incomplete workers has been announced, while last week the method of calculating the unemployment rate during Rouhani's government was also criticized. The Mehr news agency reported on Monday, October 13, that according to official sources in Iran, such as the Statistical Center of Iran, currently 1 million 800 thousand people are on the brink of unemployment, which, combined with the 2 million 257 thousand absolute unemployed in Iran, brings the total number of unemployed to about 4 million 106 thousand. Accordingly, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, deputy for planning and strategic supervision of Hassan Rouhani, announced during a television program that 'the number of unemployed has decreased from 2 million 530 thousand in spring to 2 million 257 thousand.' He also reported that the number of unemployed has decreased from 2 million 563 thousand in the summer of 2013 to the current figure. Nobakht further claimed that the number of jobs created increased from 21 million 100 thousand in spring this year to 21 million 500 thousand in summer, indicating the creation of 400 thousand jobs during this period. Overall, the number of employed people in the country in the summer of this year was 21 million 499 thousand 772, compared to 21 million 107 thousand 245 in spring. Government officials have stated that the number of employed people in the country should reach 35 million by 2021, which means that at least 14 million new jobs need to be created by then.