In Chapter 6, we introduced the generation that was born after the 1979 revolution in Iran and which is now aged below 35 years. Being young in Iran is not easy. Generally, feelings of frustration and powerlessness towards the political system, the flourishing corruption and the fast growing inflation rate, have been steadily growing among the youth. The difficult situation that the young generation is currently facing will be the main topic of this chapter.
It is hard to find a job
There are very low employment prospects for the young generation, both in the capital and in the whole country. Among those aged between 15 and 24 years, about 23 percent is unemployed, which is the 44th highest youth unemployment rate in the world. Having a bachelor or master degree makes it maybe slighly easier to find a job, but it still remains a difficult task overall. On average, it takes about three years for graduates to find a job.
The situation is even more difficult for young women. In 2008, the unemployment rate among young men rose to 23 percent. While for young women, it was nearly 48 percent ! At the moment, the female youth unemployment rate still remains at approximately 50 percent, thus twice as high as men. By their late 20s, usually 80 percent of female job seekers are still unemployed.
