TEHRAN – The Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare has expressed readiness to send skilled laborers to Finland and host Finnish business delegations to get acquainted with Iran's economic potential.

There is a long-standing relationship between Iran and Finland, which can provide a good opportunity to expand cooperation between the two countries, Hamed Forouzan, the ministry’s director for international affairs, said in a meeting in Tehran with Pasi Tuominen, director-general of consular services at the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, IRIB reported on Sunday.

Forouzan expressed hope that with the participation and cooperation of the Finnish Embassy in Iran, a large number of Iranian specialists will be attracted to the Finnish labor market.

“Last year, the Finnish Immigration Service issued a permit for 179 Iranian job seekers to enter the labor market, and Iran ranks 11th among foreign countries in terms of meeting the needs of the Finnish labor market.

According to statistics, there are over 7,000 Iranians working in the fields of research and science in Finland, and in this regard, Iran has a good position among various countries in sending expert workforce to other countries,” he stated.

Iranian workforce is young and professional, which can be an opportunity for Finland, Forouzan said, adding, due to the increase in postgraduate education and vocational training in Iran, the number of specialized forces is growing.

There are more than 1.5 million professional engineers, one million graduates in architecture, more than 1,000 forestry specialists, and over 350,000 agriculture experts in the country, he added.

According to statistics, there are over 7,000 Iranians working in the fields of research and science in Finland. Iran has had successful experiences in sending labor to various countries, including private labor to Australia through the private sector, and we hope that this experience will be repeated for Finland, he also noted.

He also expressed hope that the Finnish Embassy would facilitate the dispatch of skilled Iranian labor and provides skills and language training to Iranians before deployment.

To provide faster access to the Finnish labor market, support and guidance offices for the Iranian labor force should be established in Finland, Forouzan suggested, announcing readiness to host Finnish business delegations to get acquainted with Iran's economic potential.

Tuominen, also for his part, expressed hope that with the declining trend of coronavirus, the relations between the two countries will be further developed so that we can take serious measures to strengthen economic relations and facilitate the entrance of Iranian labor to Finland.

Noting that his country needs specialized manpower, he stated that to this end, we are trying to provide the conditions for attracting Iranian labor and allocate more funds in this regard, in addition to facilitating the legal process.

Youth unemployment rate rises

The unemployment rate for Iranian people aged 18 to 35 has risen from 15.6 percent in spring to 17.6 percent in summer, according to a report released by the Statistical Center.

The jobless rate among of the same age group reached 31 percent in summer from 27.8 percent in spring, the report added.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for young men rose from 12.9 percent to 14.6 percent.

Last year, the unemployment rate of people aged 18 to 35 was estimated at 16.7 percent, with 27.9 percent related to women and 14.1 percent related to men.

The latest employment report released by the Statistical Center reflects the growing trend of unemployment in Iran.

Iran’s unemployment rate has been above 10 percent for the last 10 years, and this rate is estimated to have peaked in 2014, when estimates reached 14 percent, according to Statista website.

FB/MG