Tehran, Iran, July 24
By Mehdi Sepahvand -- Trend:
While the state of unemployment is critical in Iran according to many experts and officials, there are more than 2 million jobs in the country occupied by cheap, overseas workers.
Employing Iranians is not economical, say entrepreneurs who prefer to employ foreigners. Right now, each foreigner can get a work permit for 2,875,000 rials ($97) Mehr news agency reported July 24.
Experts say Iran is in a peak of job demand and the measures taken by different administrations so far have failed to be of any help. Experts further believe that the government is the biggest supporter of foreign workers, many of whom work in municipalities and other governmental branches.
Meanwhile, some officials with the Ministry of Labor believe if the foreign work force, most of them come from Afghanistan, leave the country, many jobs will be left vacant.
The number of jobless people now looking for work opportunities in Iran is 2.6 million. Statistics reveal that one to 1.5 million of jobless Iranians are university graduates. Reportedly some 40 percent of Iranian university graduates are jobless.
In order for the country to attain a single-digit inflation rate, some 800,000-900,000 jobs should be created.
Iran's jobless rate fell to 10.8 percent in spring. The jobless rate was 11.5 percent in winter.
Edited by CN