Unemployment Rate Drops in Spring; Economic Participation Reaches 41.2%
TEHRAN (Iran News) Data from the spring 2025 Labor Force Survey shows that the number of employed individuals aged 15 and over reached 25.123 million, marking an increase of around 377,000 compared to the same season last year.
The findings indicate that 7.3% of the active population (employed and unemployed) were unemployed. The unemployment rate declined by 0.4 percentage points compared to spring 2024.
In spring 2025, 41.2% of the population aged 15 and over were economically active, meaning they were either employed or actively seeking work. The economic participation rate remained unchanged compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, the economically inactive population (including students, homemakers, people living on unearned income such as pensioners, etc.) reached 38.739 million, an increase of approximately 510,000 compared to spring 2024.
A breakdown of employment across major economic sectors shows that in spring 2025:
The services sector accounted for the largest share with 52.4%, Followed by industry with 33%, and Agriculture with 14.6%.
The unemployment rate among youth aged 15–24 stood at 19.7%, reflecting a 0.3 percentage point decrease from the same period last year.
For the age group 18–35, the unemployment rate was 14.5%, also showing a decline of 0.5 percentage points compared to spring 2024.
The data further reveals that 6.6% of employed people aged 15 and over worked less than 44 hours per week for economic reasons (such as seasonal fluctuations, lack of work, or inability to find more work) and were ready to work additional hours. Conversely, 40.1% of the employed worked more than 49 hours per week.
- source : IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK
