The latest Iranian labor market statistics reveal that women have suffered disproportionately from the recent wave of unemployment and shrinking job opportunities, with their unemployment rate reaching 16.7% in the spring of 2026, more than double that of men.
According to a report by Avash Newsroom, Iran’s employed population shrank by approximately 450,000 individuals in the spring. During the same period, roughly 630,000 industrial jobs were lost, reducing the industrial sector’s share of overall employment to 31%.
Data from the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) labor force survey indicates that the female unemployment rate climbed from 13.7% to 16.7% over the past year. Meanwhile, the male unemployment rate rose by 1.5 percentage points to reach 7.5%.
During this period, the economic participation rate for women stood at a mere 13.7%, compared to 67.8% for men. This indicates that, out of every 100 working-age women in Iran, fewer than 14 are either employed or actively seeking employment.
Overall national economic participation dropped from 41.2% in the spring of last year to 40.7%. Youth unemployment, among those aged 15 to 24, reached 23.4%.
