Financial Tribune- A total of 818,000 jobs were created in Iran during the first nine months of the current fiscal year (March 21-Dec. 21, 2017), indicating a 3.6% rise compared with last year’s similar period, the head of Statistical Center of Iran said.

“The number of unemployed people grew by 16,000 during the nine-month period to reach 3.2 million out of 25.8 million economically active population in the country,” Omid Ali Parsa was also quoted as saying by IRNA.

“The government is planning to create 1.33 million jobs in the upcoming fiscal year (starting March 21), of which 846,000 will be offered to university graduates,” Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the head of Iran’s Management and Planning Organization, said.

SCI’s latest report on Iran’s unemployment shows the jobless rate stood at 11.9% in the third quarter of the current fiscal year (Sept. 23-Dec. 21, 2017), registering a 0.4% drop compared with the same period of last year and a 0.2% increase compared with the previous quarter (summer).

According to the report, 3.14 million Iranians were unemployed this autumn–10.1% of men (or 2.14 million) and 19.1% of women (or 999,145) of ages 10 and above were jobless during the third quarter.

The unemployment rate was at 13.2% for urban areas and 8.1% for rural areas. Joblessness was higher among women compared to men and among those living in urban areas.

Youth unemployment rate, i.e. the proportion of the population between the ages of 15 and 29, stood at 25% this autumn, posting a 1.4% decrease compared with last year’s corresponding period and a 0.6% rise compared with summer.

SCI put Q3 labor force participation rate—the proportion of the population of ages 10 years and above that is economically active (either employed or looking for work)—at 40.1% or 26.47 million people, registering a 1.2% rise compared with the same quarter of last year and a 0.9% decrease compared with the previous quarter.

Men’s and women’s economic participation rates were 64.1% and 15.9% respectively. The rate was 39.5% for urban areas and 42.1% for rural areas. Part-time employees, those who are employed for less than 44 hours per week, constituted 10.8% of the country’s employed population in Q3, whereas 37.1% of the employees worked 49 hours or more of service per week.

Employment is defined as persons of working age engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to a temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement.

The services sector employed 50.1% of the Iranian population, while industrial and agricultural sectors provided 32.6% and 17.2% of the population with jobs respectively.