Tejarat News reported that in Iran’s economy, women hold significantly lower positions compared to men, as indicated by the unemployment rate, economic participation rate, and employment rate. Citing official data from the Iranian Statistics Center, the report highlights that last year, the unemployment rate among women was double that of men.
According to the Iranian Statistics Center’s report on the country’s human resources status last year, the unemployment rate among individuals aged 18 and above was 27.8% for women and 13.5% for men. This data underscores a twofold difference in the unemployment rates between women and men.
Official data from the Iranian Statistics Center reveals that Sistan and Baluchistan, with 13.5%, had the highest unemployment rate, followed by Hormozgan with 11.8%, Lorestan with 11.6%, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari with 11.5%, and Kermanshah with 11.2%.
Subsequently, Khuzestan with 10.7%, Ardabil with 10.7%, and Kurdistan with 9.7% experienced the highest unemployment rates. Throughout the previous year, the overall employment rate for the country stood at 37.2%, with women at 11.4% and men at 63%. These figures indicate that men’s employment rate is approximately five times higher than that of women.
Tejarat News highlighted the numerous challenges women encounter in securing economic positions within Iran’s labor market. It noted instances where women are denied work opportunities and, even when employed, face limited prospects for advancement.
The report also revealed that 40% of the unemployed population consists of higher education graduates, with men comprising 27.1% and women 71%.
Further analysis of Iranian Statistics Center data indicates that unemployment rates among associate degree holders were 8.3% for men and 19.1% for women, while for undergraduate degree holders, these rates were 10.6% for men and 24.5% for women. Among graduates, the unemployment rate was 5.9% for men and 17.3% for women, illustrating a disparity of two to three times higher unemployment rates for women across different educational levels.
In Iran, many women lack access to suitable jobs with equal pay under equitable conditions. The latest UN reports from 2020 and 2021 corroborate Iran’s high gender inequality.
In mid-November 2023, Donya-e-Eqtesad Newspaper reported on gender discrimination in the Iranian economy and the doubling of the unemployment rate among women compared to men.
The most recent report from the Iranian Statistics Center on labor market developments in the summer of 2023 indicates that women’s participation rate during that season reached 14.6%. Out of over 32.2 million working-age women, more than 27.5 million remain inactive, having not entered the labor market at all.
