Azerbaijan, Baku, Apr. 15 / Trend F.Milad/
A member of the Iranian parliament has questioned the government's data on job creation in the past calendar year, saying that some of the jobs have been taken into account for three times.
Hossein Nejabat said that the jobs were related to governorates, banks and administrative departments, the Persian language daily Jahan-e Sanat reported.
The administration boasts of creating some 1.6 million jobs in the past calendar year, which ended on March 19.
The labor ministry introduces those individuals who work even just an hour in a week as among the employed population. The government had announced last year that it would create up to 2.5 million jobs. Therefore, it is revealed that the government has failed to fulfill its promises on job creation.
Unemployment rate in Iran stood at 13.5 percent in the past calendar year, which ended on March 19, showing 1.6 percent rise compared to the figure for its preceding year, the Statistical Center of Iran reported.
To keep the current unemployment rate steady some $200 billion should be invested to create one million jobs annually, the Iranian Deputy Chairman of Iranian Parliament said in January.
"In the most optimistic case, all the money which can be allocated to job creation does not exceed $80 billion. So, the country is facing $120 billion deficit while creating one million jobs annually," Mohammad-Reza Bahonar told ILNA news agency.
The nation's working population was 25 million in the previous calendar year.