TEHRAN – Iran’s unemployment rate reached 7.8 percent in autumn 1404 (September-December, 2025), marking a 0.6 percentage point increase compared with the same period last year, according to new data released by the Statistical Center of Iran.
The results of the autumn Labor Force Survey show that 40.7 percent of the population aged 15 and above was economically active, meaning they were either employed or actively seeking work. The economic participation rate declined by 0.5 percentage points year-on-year.
The number of employed individuals aged 15 and above stood at 24.857 million during the period, down by roughly 127,000 compared with autumn 1403. Meanwhile, the economically inactive population — including students, homemakers, retirees and others not seeking employment — rose by nearly 800,000 year-on-year to 39.3 million.
Sectoral data indicate that services accounted for the largest share of employment at 53.2 percent, followed by industry at 33.2 percent and agriculture at 13.6 percent.
Youth unemployment remains significantly higher than the national average. The jobless rate among those aged 15 to 24 reached 21.5 percent in autumn 1404, up 1.3 percentage points from a year earlier. For the 18 to 35 age group, the unemployment rate stood at 15.9 percent, reflecting a 1.6 percentage point increase compared with autumn 1403.
The report also showed that 7.9 percent of employed individuals worked fewer than 44 hours per week due to economic reasons — such as seasonal work or insufficient demand — and were available for additional hours. At the same time, 37.9 percent of workers aged 15 and above reported working more than 49 hours per week.
EF/MA
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