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Iranian Labor Minister Ali Rabiyee[/caption]TEHRAN -Iranian Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare Minister Ali Rabiei said some 400,000 jobs have been created in the country since the beginning of current Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2014), the Tasnim News Agency reported on Saturday.
Rabiei said the Iranian parliament (Majlis) has approved allocation of 40 trillion rials (about $1.176 billion) to job creation in the next Iranian calendar year (which begins on March 21, 2015).
In August 2014, the official said 500,000 jobs will be created in the country by the end of current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2015).
In November 2013, Iranian Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Ali Tayyebnia said Iran must create 8.5 million new jobs in the next two years.
The Statistical Center of Iran has announced that the average unemployment rate for the past Iranian calendar year hit 10.4 percent.
In April 2014, Iranian First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said the unemployment rate in Iran has reached a critical level.
He criticized the administration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for paying huge amounts of loans to small businesses, saying that the former administrations hasty decision has led to 800 trillion rials (about $23.529 billion) in bad loans.
He referred to unemployment as the main challenge facing the administration, adding that the problem will be resolved just through boosting economy and raising investments.
By Tehran Times
