TEHRAN (Iran News) – The Iranian deputy labor minister for international affairs, Hamed Forouzan, in a meeting with Serbian Ambassador to Iran, Dragan Todorovic, announced readiness to send skilled workforce to Serbia.

During the meeting on Monday, the two officials discussed further cooperation in different fields, IRNA reported.

A memorandum of understanding on employment, technology, and professions has been drafted, and another memorandum on social security is being prepared, which we hope will be signed soon, Forouzan stated.

The purpose of this meeting is to facilitate relations between the economic and trade complexes of Iran and Serbia, he highlighted.

Todorovic, also for his part said that the purpose of this joint meeting is to assess the current situation for the expansion of trade cooperation in various fields such as agriculture and tourism.

The most important obstacles to the development of trade relations are the financial and banking transfers, which we hope will be facilitated and accelerated by resolving political issues, he added.

Iran has had successful experiences in sending labor to various countries, including private labor to Australia through the private sector, and this experience will be repeated for Finland, as lately announced by Forouzan in a meeting with Pasi Tuominen, director-general of consular services at the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Youth unemployment rate rises

The unemployment rate for Iranian people aged 18 to 35 has risen from 15.6 percent in spring to 17.6 percent in summer, according to a report released by the Statistical Center.

The jobless rate among of the same age group reached 31 percent in summer from 27.8 percent in spring, the report added.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for young men rose from 12.9 percent to 14.6 percent.

Last year, the unemployment rate of people aged 18 to 35 was estimated at 16.7 percent, with 27.9 percent related to women and 14.1 percent related to men.

The latest employment report released by the Statistical Center reflects the growing trend of unemployment in Iran.

Iran’s unemployment rate has been above 10 percent for the last 10 years, and this rate is estimated to have peaked in 2014, when estimates reached 14 percent, according to the Statista website.