Iraq to Create New 2026 Budget Posts for Master’s, PhD Graduates

Finance Minister Falih es-Sari has ordered new job grades to be created under Iraq’s 2026 budget for master’s degree holders, doctoral graduates and top-ranked students, as the government moves to expand public-sector hiring for higher education graduates. The measure is aimed at easing pressure on thousands of qualified applicants who have not been appointed because of insufficient staffing allocations. Iraqi Parliament member Ola Ode el-Naşie said Falih es-Sari approved the opening of new employment grades in the 2026 budget for graduates of higher education and first-ranked students. Under a document approved by the ministry, special budget lines will be added to employ graduates covered by Laws No. 59 and 67 of 2017. The arrangement is intended to absorb about 43,000 graduates who received job codes but were not appointed because of a lack of available positions. Authorities also plan to create additional quotas after the existing 8,600-person allocation for the third group proved insufficient. More than 7,000 grades removed from the first two groups are also set to be restored. Fadıl el-Garavi, spokesman for the Federal Public Service Council, said the appointment of higher education graduates and top-ranked students is an acquired right under the 2017 laws and that all state institutions have a legal obligation to implement it. The issue has drawn public pressure in Baghdad, where large numbers of graduates have staged protests demanding jobs in state institutions.