From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Anger and Opportunity in Karbala as Foreign Workers Slip into Labor Market Renowned for its annual pilgrimages, and home to the resting sites of several Shiite religious figures, Karbala has long been a […]
By John Lee. A spokesman for the Ministry of Planning has told the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) that poverty has declined from 22 to 17 percent and unemployment from 16 to 13 percent in recent years, attributing the improvement to government measures and private-sector cooperation. Abd al-Zahra al-Hindawi added that the private sector is […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has launched a lending initiative aimed at reducing unemployment by providing job opportunities for registered unemployed citizens. Under the programme, the Ministry's Department of Labour and Vocational Training -- through its Small Projects Funds -- will issue loans for the purchase of modern passenger vehicles […]
By John Lee. The Permanent Technical Committee for Poverty Reduction Policies, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning Dr Mohammed Ali Tamim, has approved Iraq's third national poverty reduction strategy, covering the years 2025 to 2029. Dr Tamim described progress made during the previous phase as positive, with poverty rates falling from 30% […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministerial Council for Economy, held its 13th and 14th sessions in Baghdad on May 12, 2025. Discussions included enhancing coordination between federal and regional quality control authorities, with a focus on streamlining goods inspection at border crossings. The Council approved measures to recognize the Kurdistan Region's quality control tests for imported […]
By Aziz Al Nassiri. This document explains the Iraqi University Ecosystem (IUE) project Introduction: The business environment in Iraq is one of the most challenging in the region. Instability, lawlessness, corruption, absence of development plans, flight of capital, brain drain, diminution of the middle class, rentier economy, rapid population growth, global warming, Fourth Industrial Revolution. […]
By John Lee. An advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister has criticised immigration to the country. Mudhar Muhammad Salih told the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) that foreign workers transfer $600 million annually out of Iraq, and work in sectors with "limited productivity", while unemployment in Iraq is 16 percent of the total workforce. He […]
By Meethak Al-Khatib and Adam Lucente for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. With few job openings, Iraqi youth find work in creative ways As Iraq's economy struggles, Al-Monitor spoke to young Iraqis who are making money via video […]
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's unemployment crisis puts spotlight on foreign workers Iraq has a major unemployment problem. For the past decade, official unemployment rates have seen a continuous rise, reaching 14.2% in 2021. The lack of […]
Earlier this week, Iraq's Ministry of Planning, the Central Statistical Organization (CSO), together with the International Labour Organization (ILO) launched a national Labour Force Survey, the first of its kind to be conducted in Iraq in the last decade. They have now provided a link to the report, which can be downloaded here. Some key […]
Iraq's Ministry of Planning, the Central Statistical Organization (CSO), together with the International Labour Organization (ILO) have launched a national Labour Force Survey, the first of its kind to be conducted in Iraq in the last decade. The survey presents estimates at the national, governorate, urban and rural levels and covers a broad array of […]
Germany Increases Support to Boost Employment Opportunities in Iraq with New EUR 18m Contribution Germany and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have today signed a EUR 18.29 million agreement (US$ 21.78 million) to boost employment and economic opportunities for vulnerable communities in Iraq. The generous contribution is the second provided to the Building Resilience […]
