By Economic Jihad, that is this year's designation, the Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei meant lowering the unemployment rate, gaining high economic growth rate and fair distribution of wealth, Substitute Friday prayers leader of Tehran Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami says, IRNA reported.
Delivering his second Friday prayers sermon to Tehrani worshipers, Ayatollah Khatami noted Economic Jihad features three indices: economic growth, narrowing down the gap between the high and low income deciles and ensuring a one-digit unemployment rate.
Noting that the country should gain eight percent economic growth rate per the fifth five-year economic development plan, Ayatollah Khatami said Jihad means jumping and not an ordinary move.
He said officials of the country have thus far had successful projects for employment.
Not only the elite and economic institutions but also cultural organs can play an influential role in Economic Jihad this year, added that Ayatollah.
According to the statistics, Iranian government should create 5.5 million new jobs to reduce unemployment rate of the country to seven percent during the Fifth Socio-Economic Development Plan (2010-2015), Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi said.
Iran 's official unemployment rate is about 10 percent.
Earlier Iran's Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Abdolreza Sheikholeslami said that Iran has an estimate of 25 million active population and the number of unemployed totaled about 2.5 million people.
Up to 1.6 million people enter the labor market each year in Iran, Sheikholeslami added.
Iran would reduce its unemployment rate to seven percent by the end of 2012 in line with the Fifth Socio-Economic Development Plan Sheikholeslami said earlier.
Iran 's Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan is part of the 20-Year Outlook Plan (2005-2025), which is the country's main blueprint for long-term sustainable growth.
The fifth five-year plan has stipulated for the reduction of unemployment rate to seven percent in 2015 through creating an average of 990,000 jobs annually.