PM Al-Sudani unveils plan to boost Iraqi jobs

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq will launch the National Investment and Employment Initiative, aimed at reducing unemployment by providing incentives to projects that prioritize hiring Iraqi workers, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani announced on Sunday.

The prime minister’s media office reported that the decision followed a meeting on economic and employment policies, where officials discussed ways to align government action with private sector and international support to create jobs across the country.

The initiative also provides private-sector employees with benefits comparable to those enjoyed by public-sector workers, part of broader efforts to promote job equity and encourage greater participation in the national labor market.

Additionally, Al-Sudani endorsed the National Program for Vocational and Technical Training, designed to equip Iraqi professionals with globally recognized skills and qualifications aligned with the needs of modern investment projects.

Recent data from the Ministry of Finance showed that Iraq’s overall unemployment rate rose to 15.5 percent in 2024, slightly up from 15.45 percent the previous year. Among youth aged 15 to 24, the jobless rate reached 32.1 percent, compared with 31.97 percent a year earlier.

Read more: Youth in despair, no jobs to share: Iraq’s work force hanging in the air