Iraq unemployment above 1.5 million as private sector seen in 'clinical death'

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's unemployment count is estimated at between 1.5 million and 1.73 million people, with official figures putting the jobless rate at around 13 percent and international estimates at 13.5 percent. The country's population has surpassed 46.1 million, according to the final results of the general census, and hundreds of thousands of young people enter the labor force each year. Mazhar Mohammed Salih, the prime minister's financial and economic adviser, said the problem cannot be solved through public-sector hiring alone and that the private sector also needs reform of the business environment. He called for state-backed temporary wage support, easy credit for small projects and paid training programs for skills in demand. Jamal Kocher, a member of the Iraqi Parliament's Finance Committee, said critical professions such as doctors and top-ranked graduates must be employed in the public sector. He described the private sector as experiencing "clinical death," citing uncontrolled armed groups, political interference and regional instability. The government is counting on investment and economic diversification tied to the U.S.-Iraq partnership and private-sector partnerships, but experts warn that unemployment will rise if new investment is not linked to local job creation. No further details were immediately available on specific reform measures.