Unemployment rate for university graduates stood at 15.6% in the fourth quarter of the current Iranian year (Dec. 22, 2019-March 19), posting a 2% decrease YOY.
Higher education unemployment rate for men stood at 11.2% and that of women stuck around 24.7%, the Statistical Center of Iran reported.
The share of higher education unemployment from the total unemployed population was 39% in Q4, which indicate an increase of 1.4% year-on-year.
The unemployment shares of male and female graduates from the total unemployed population stood at 26.6% and 69.1% respectively, while the share of higher education unemployment from the total unemployed population were 42.8% in urban areas and 24% in rural areas during the period.
The general unemployment rate in Iran, the proportion of jobless population of ages 15 and above, stood at 10.6% in Q4, indicating a 1.7% decline compared with the same period of last year.
A total of 2,788,587 Iranians were unemployed in Q4. Men’s unemployment stood at 9.2% while the rate for women hovered around 17.2%. Over 1.97 million men and 812,902 women of ages 15 and above were jobless in Q4.
The unemployment rate was 11.4% for urban areas (2.23 million people) and 8.5% for rural areas (554,330 people).
SCI put Q4 labor force participation rate—the proportion of the population of ages 15 and above that is economically active either employed or looking for job—at 42.4% or 26.22 million people, registering a 1.1% decrease year-on-year.
Men’s and women’s economic participation rates were 69.4% and 15.3% respectively in the same period.
SCI reports that 21.49 million men and 4.73 million women of ages 15 and above were economically active in Q4, i.e., they were either employed or looking for a job.
The center provides two figures for the youth unemployment rate: the proportion of the population between 15 and 24 years and those between 18 and 35 years.
The youth unemployment rate of those between 15 and 24 years stood at 25.7% in Q4, posting a 2.4% decrease while the unemployment rate of those between 18 and 35 years stood at 17.8%, posting a decline of 1.6% YOY.
These figures were calculated between Feb. 1-14, before the outbreak of coronavirus, when the labor market was in better shape.
“The government will allocate 50,000 billion rials ($312 million) to unemployment insurance fund to support those who have lost their jobs amid the outbreak of coronavirus,” Masoud Babaie, an official with the Ministry of Cooperatives, labor and Social Welfare, said recently.
Unemployment Benefits
To prevent the spread of the virus, applicants are urged to fill out online forms for unemployment benefits at the newly-designed website Bimebikari.mcls.gov.ir within 30 days, rather than going in person to the ministry’s bureaus, Babaie said.
“As per the joint guideline signed by the Cooperatives Ministry and the Social Security Organization on March 30, workers of 10 job groups and economic subsectors hit by coronavirus outbreak are subject to the provisions of the Islamic Republic of Iran Labor Law, the Social Security Act and the Unemployment Insurance Law will qualify to receive unemployment benefits for three months,” he was quoted as saying by IRNA.
The official noted that policyholders of other insurers, such as those who are self-employed, construction workers, carpet weavers, public transportation operators and drivers, are not eligible for unemployment benefits.
Earlier, the Central Bank of Iran released a list of businesses that have been directly affected by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19. These businesses can apply to receive support and facilities from banks.
The list includes food preparation and distribution centers, including restaurants, teahouses and other such centers; tourism centers, including hotels, inns, hostels, road recreation and service providing centers and other such businesses identified by the Industries Ministry; air, rail and road transportation whether inter- or intra-city; travel agencies; apparel production and distribution units; bags and footwear production and distribution units; distributors of nuts and dried fruit, confectioneries, ice creams and juice; sport and recreational centers; cultural and educational centers; and handicraft production and distribution centers, ILNA reported.
