Development Programs and its Consequences on the Occupational Structure of Rural Iran (1956 to 2006)

Iran has experienced significant changes in the distribution of employed population of ruralareas in major professional categories in the years 1956 to 2006. Accordingly, it is important to studythe changes in occupational structure, factors influencing these changes, and their implications. Themethodology of this study is documentary and secondary analysis. Moreover, in order to explain whythe changes were made, the development plans before and after the Islamic Revolution wereexamined. Findings indicate that the number of workers in agricultural sector during the years 1956,1966, 1976, 1986, 1996 and 2006 was 74.3, 61.7, 58.9, 57.7, 49.75, and 43.94 percent, respectively.According to the statistics, there has been a gradual reduction of the number of workers in theagricultural sector. Results also show that the average age of workers in the agricultural sectorduring the years 1966, 1976, 1986, 1996 and 2006 was 34.3, 37.6, 40.4, 40.5, and 40 years,respectively. The results of documentary studies suggests that oil price upward spiraling followed bythe reduction of government’s dependence on agriculture, implementation of the Land Reform Planregardless of the social and cultural structure of the rural population on one hand, and, on the otherhand, the tendency of the governments before and after the Revolution towards mechanizedagriculture without the necessary scientific and practical background have been major factors in theirrational reduction of workers in the agricultural sector. Among the most important social andeconomic consequences of this situation are the aging of workforce employed in agriculture, thedecline of agricultural development, the growth of false occupations, and the development of oileconomy.