Statistical Centre of Iran puts spring 1405 unemployment at 9.1 percent, with women's unemployment at 16.7 percent

The latest labour market report from the Statistical Centre of Iran covering spring 1405, reported on Wednesday, 5 August 2026 (14 Mordad 1405), puts the unemployment rate at 9.1 percent. At the same time, the economic participation rate and the employment ratio both declined, a pattern indicating that some job seekers have left the labour market altogether and one that cannot be explained by the unemployment rate alone.

According to the report, the employed population has fallen by about 450,000 people compared with a year earlier. Women's unemployment reached 16.7 percent, and the decline in their economic participation points to part of the female workforce withdrawing from the market. Rising male unemployment and an increase in underemployment were also recorded.

The composition of employment has shifted as well: industry's share of employment fell while the shares of services and agriculture rose. The figures come as Iran's economy contends with high inflation, sanctions pressure and the consequences of the recent conflict.