Iraqi Communist Party: 150,000 young Iraqis join the unemployed annually

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Raed Fahmi, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Iraqi Communist Party, criticized the federal government's handling of the widespread unemployment crisis in Iraq, particularly among youth and graduates.

In a post on X, Fahmi wrote, "It seems that the financial schedules will be approved, although serious criticisms have been directed at these schedules."

The Iraqi Parliament is scheduled to hold a session next Monday to vote on the 2024 budget tables sent by the federal government. This comes despite widespread criticism from MPs and local officials for reducing the shares of provinces, including the Kurdistan region.

"The budget and the government do not provide any practical measures to address the unemployment problem, especially among young people and graduates," Fahmi added, noting that "about 150,000 young people join the ranks of the unemployed annually."

Hundreds of thousands of students graduate from universities and colleges in Iraq each year, joining the job market. However, the 2024 budget doesn't have enough jobs for these graduates and others seeking work, with the private sector struggling to hire.

According to a recent government survey, the country faces a high unemployment rate of 16.5%.

Unemployment is worse for women, who have twice the rate of men, and it's higher in rural areas compared to cities, as highlighted by Ministry of Planning spokesperson Abdul Zahra Al-Hindawi.

While male unemployment hovers around 12 to 13%, female unemployment surpasses 20%.

In a previous interview with Shafaq News Agency, Al-Hindawi explained the government's employment strategy, stating that it can't hire more in state institutions.

"The government can no longer increase employment within state institutions. The current focus is on developing the private sector, which requires a series of measures, legislation, regulations, and laws to govern its operations," said Al-Hindawi.

He emphasized focusing on developing the private sector and activating the Private Sector Development Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, to shape policies and implementation aided by recent legislation like the Social Security Law.

Economic researcher Omar Al-Halbousi blamed the absence of job appointments in the 2024 budget on the bloated government workforce, leading to hefty salary burdens.

"The absence of job appointments in the 2024 budget is attributed to the inflated number of employees in the government sector, leading to a burden on the budget with substantial salaries," Al-Halbousi told Shafaq News.

"This has turned the budget into a salary-centric one due to increased operational spending and reduced investment spending," he added.

The Iraqi government boosted the total budget for 2024 from 199 trillion dinars to 228 trillion dinars. Planning Minister Mohammed Tameem revealed that the budget deficit for 2024 has risen to 80 trillion dinars, up from 63 trillion dinars.