Labor Force

Note: Definitions and concepts are explained at the bottom of this page.

  • Economic participation and unemployment rates for population aged 10 and over by province: 1380-1384 (2001-2005)

  • Employed population aged 10 and over by literacy status, level of education and status in employment: 1375 census (1996)

  • Relative distribution of employed and unemployed population aged 10 and over by literacy status and level of education: 1380-1384 (2001-2005)

  • Government employees under civil service code and other employment laws by status in employment: 1370-1384 (1991-2005)

  • Government employees by employment law, status in employment and province at the beginning of the year: 1385 (2006)

  • Population aged 10 and over by five-year age group and activity status in urban and rural areas: 1385 census (2006)

  • Employed population aged 10 and over by status in employment and sex: 1335-1385 (1956-2006)

  • Estimation of employed population aged 10 and over by major industry group and sex in urban and rural areas: 1385 census (2006)

  • Employed population aged 10 and over by status in employment and sex: 1335-1385 (1956-2006)

  • Relative distribution of employed population aged 10 and over by status in employment: 1380-1385 (2001-2006)

  • Estimation of employed population aged 10 and over by literacy status, level of education and status in employment: 1385 census (2006)

  • Estimation of employed population aged 10 and over by sex, major occupation group and status in employment: 1385 census (2006)

  • Households by sex, activity status of head of household and number of members: 1385 census (2006)

  • Government employees by type of employment laws and sex: 1370-1385 (1991-2006)

  • Government employees under civil service code and other employment laws by status in employment: 1370-1385 (1991-2006)

  • Government employees under civil service code and other employees and laws by educational degree: 1370-1385 (1991-2006)

Definitions and Concepts

Work: any economic activity (mental or physical) which is carried out for earning an income (in-cash or in-kind) and the goal of which is the production of goods or provision of services.

Economic activity or work: any legitimate physical or mental activity that results in (cash or non-cash ) income.

Economically active population: all household members aged 10 years and over who were employed or unemployed (seeking work) during the last seven days preceding the enumeration.

Students, homemakers, income recipients, whether employed or unemployed, are included in this group.

In the 1384 Labour Force Survey, all people aged 10 and over (the minimum determined age) who were engaged, during the calendar week prior to the survey week ( reference  week), in goods and services production (employed) or were potentially able to participate  (unemployed) in them  are  considered economically active population, under the definition of the work.

Not economically active population: all household members aged 10 years and over who were not employed or unemployed (seeking work) during the last seven days preceding the enumeration and are classified under student, homemaker, income recipient or other groups are considered  not  economically active population.

In the 1384, 1385 Labour Force Survey, all people aged 10 and over  who are not  classified , during reference  week based on the definition, in two groups “ employed” and unemployed” are considered non-economically active population.

Employed: Under the definition of the work, all people aged 10 and over who worked, during the reference week, at least one hour or for reasons, left the work temporarily are treated as employed.

The employed mainly include two groups: wage and salary earners and the self-employed. Temporary leaving of work during the reference week while there is a formal attachment to their job for wage and salary earners, and the continuation of the business for self-employment is considered employment. The following people are considered employed due to their significant role in the national economic activity:

-Persons who, without receiving any remuneration, work for a member of their household that is a relative (unpaid family workers).

– Trainees who perform an activity in relation to the activity of the workshop during the training period. In other words, they directly contribute to the production of goods or services and their activity is considered “work”.

-Students who have worked during the reference week, according to the definition.

– All people who are serving as permanent and temporary cadre in the armed forces (armed forces, cadre personnels, soldiers, commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers of the military forces and the police).

It should be noted that the definition for employed persons in the 1385 Census of  Population and Housing is in accordance with the definition presented in this chapter of the yearbook.

Unemployed: the unemployed comprise all persons who during the last 7 days before the enumeration day did not work for at least one hour, were without employment and met the below conditions:

1. were actively looking for employment during the last 30 days before the enumeration day and had taken specific steps including registration at an employment agency, placing or answering newspaper advertisements, seeking  assistance of friends or relatives, etc.

2. were currently available for work, that is, during a period of 7 days before the interview and 7 days after it, were ready to begin work. Also, the following persons are considered as unemployed:

– persons who, according to work definition, were available for work and were going to begin a new job provided for them.

– persons temporarily absent from their jobs with no formal job attachment, who were currently available for work and are ” waiting to return to their previous jobs”.

Underemployment: Underemployed persons include all employed people who were present at the work or temporarily absent from the work during the reference week and for economic reasons such as work recession, not finding a job with more hours, being in non-work season, etc.,  they worked less than 44 hours, but wanted to and were available to work more hours during the reference week.

Economic participation rate (activity rate): refers to the proportion of the economically active population (employed and unemployed) aged 10 or over to the population aged 10 or over at the working age × 100.

Unemployment rate: refers to the proportion of unemployed population to the economically active population (employed and unemployed) × 100.

Unemployed previously employed: all those who are not considered employed but were previously employed and during the last seven days preceding the enumeration were unemployed by definition.

Unemployed previously unemployed: all those not considered employed or unemployed previously employed and during the last seven days preceding the enumeration were unemployed by definition.

Student: all persons who were not considered as employed or unemployed and attended some regular educational institution during the last seven days preceding the enumeration.

Homemaker: in the 1335, 1345 and 1355 Censuses, all women who were not employed or unemployed and were engaged in homemaking activities in their own home during the last seven days preceding the enumeration. In the 1365 and 1375 Censuses and the 1376-1383 Surveys of the Household Employment and Unemployment Characteristics, as well as the 1384 Labour Force Survey, all men and women who were not employed, unemployed or student and were engaged in homemaking activities during the last seven days preceding the enumeration were considered homemakers. In the 1370 Multi-Round Population Survey, all persons of either sex who were not employed, unemployed, students or retired and were engaged in homemaking activities were regarded as homemakers.

Income recipient: those who were not considered employed, unemployed, student and homemakers and had regular incomes such as retirement salary and pension, or income from land and property, real estates, dividends, etc.

Activity rate: number of economically active population (employed and unemployed) to the population aged 10 and over × 100.

Unemployment rate: the ratio of the unemployed population aged 10 and over to the economically active population (employed and unemployed)× 100.

Major industry groups: all existing economic activities in the country are classified into 18 large groups according to International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC, Rev.3-90). Each group which is specified by a letter in the related list is called a major industry group.

Major   occupation   groups: according   to   the study of existing occupations of  the country  and their  coordination  with  the  last  version of  the International    Standard       Classification       of  Occupations   (ISCzO-88),  all   occupations  were divided into 10 large groups. Each group,    which is specified by a one-digit (code) number in the related  list, is called “major occupation group.”

Urban, rural areas and settled population: see Chapter 2, Definitions and concepts.