BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 8. Iran has reported a 0.1 percent decrease in its unemployment rate among individuals aged 15 and above during the second quarter of the current Iranian year (from June 22 through September 22, 2025) compared to the same period of the previous Iranian year (from June 21 through September 21, 2024).
Data obtained by Trend from the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) indicates that the unemployment figure in the nation has escalated to 1.98 million individuals (1,980,468), constituting 7.4 percent of the engaged workforce. A total of 520,813 individuals fell within the 15–24 age bracket, while the cohort aged between 18 and 35 years comprised 1.31 million, specifically 1,312,514 participants.
The number of unemployed individuals with higher education stood at 798,019, marking a one percent decline compared to the same period last year.
According to the report, Iran’s population aged 15 and over totals 66 million (66,046,415) people. Of this figure, 39.1 million (39,107,838) are economically inactive, while 26.9 million (26,938,577) are considered part of the active workforce.
In a comparative analysis, the zenith of joblessness in Iran post-1979 occurred in 1985, when the unemployment metric escalated to 16.7 percent. The prevailing phase of elevated joblessness can be attributed to a confluence of variables, including the aftermath of the revolutionary upheaval, the protracted Iran-Iraq conflict, and the influx of Afghan refugees, all of which synergistically exacerbate structural unemployment dynamics.
