Unemployment in Ahwaz rises above 11% amid systematic persianization of jobs

The Ahwaz Planning and Management Organization revealed that youth unemployment in Ahwaz has risen to more than 11%, amid worsening economic crises caused by Iran’s discriminatory policies, most notably the Persianization of jobs and the exclusion of the indigenous population from employment in their own institutions particularly in the oil, gas, and agricultural sectors.

The organization’s recent report noted that ongoing drought and frequent power outages have further complicated the unemployment crisis in Ahwaz, which has a young population structure and a high population growth rate.

Key economic sectors in Ahwaz face enormous challenges, directly affecting available job opportunities, especially for young people.

According to local sources, Iran is pursuing a systematic policy of settling Persian newcomers and granting them jobs in official and private institutions, while excluding Ahwazi youth from the labor market.

Ahwazi activists argue that this policy is designed to create economic and social pressure on the Ahwazi community, pushing them toward forced migration as a tool to alter the demographic balance in favor of settlers.

The report highlighted that Ahwazi youth are denied employment even in sectors considered the backbone of the local economy, such as the oil and gas industry.

Activists and human rights organizations have called for international pressure on Iran to halt its policies of discrimination and marginalization against the Ahwazi Arabs, urging recognition of their economic and social rights, including the right to work and to participate in managing their own resources.

This report comes at a time when human rights criticism of Iran’s practices in Ahwaz is mounting, particularly regarding systematic development in favor of settlers at the expense of marginalizing the Ahwazis and dismantling their social fabric.