The Rate of Unemployment Trend in Kurdistan Province during 1996-2006 Emphasizing on the Youth

      In recent years, due to the significant demographic changes and increasing young population in the country, including Kurdistan, there was too much demand for the labor, and it causes unemployed persons. In this study, the unemployment rate in Kurdistan province has been studied with emphasis on the youth. The main question was the trend of unemployment rate of the young population? Secondary analysis of census data related to employment and activities of the province in 1996-2006 was the method of research, and the unemployment rates were analyzed using Excel software. The results showed that the unemployment index increased from 9% in 1996 to 20.2% in 2006. The unemployment rate in all age groups in both urban and rural areas, (men and women) experienced ascending trend, more than doubled(the unemployment rate among women was remarkable), the youth unemployment rate increased from 16.5 to 37.6 percent. The findings showed the rate of unemployment among the educated was high in both periods, but the index 2006, 2.6 times have been more than and reached from 7 to 18.2 percent at that time. It seems this situation is due of increasing of young people in the province, and the lack of productive infrastructure. At last, with attention to the favorable geographical and strategic position of the region, solutions for policymaking have been offered in the paper.