Protests erupt in Baghdad over job scarcity

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Hundreds of Iraqi graduates marched on Tuesday in Baghdad’s Al-Alawi district, demanding jobs and permanent government positions amid rising unemployment.

Shafaq News correspondent reported that protesters carried banners criticizing the lack of opportunities for young Iraqis, noting that years of study and graduation have yet to result in stable employment. Many held the government responsible for failing to implement effective plans to place graduates in suitable jobs.

Demonstrators also urged authorities to speed up recruitment and ensure fair treatment for graduates, warning that protests could intensify if their demands are ignored.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs reported that around one million Iraqis are registered as unemployed, with youth unemployment at about 32 %. Nearly 40 % of the workforce works in the public sector, where salaries make up almost half of the federal budget. A 2025 report from the Ministry of Finance indicates that public sector wages reached roughly 55 trillion Iraqi dinars ($42 billion) of the government’s 106.75 trillion dinar ($81 billion) current spending, citing the heavy fiscal reliance on state employment.

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