Amid war and sanctions, many Iranians are losing their jobs and struggling to get by

Billy Odell Tucker-Robinson Founder & Host — Banking With Billy Network • Intelligence Network • Data Science • AI Research • World News
Published: 2026-09-11T19:48:05.065Z • Permanent link

Iran's economic woes have long been a subject of concern, but recent events have taken a toll on the country's workforce. According to recent data from the Iranian Ministry of Labour, the number of people unemployed has skyrocketed to over 7 million, with many more struggling to find stable employment. This is largely due to the ongoing war between Iran and the US, which has resulted in crippling sanctions that have crippled the country's economy.

One of the most affected individuals is Mohammad Reza Aref, a 35-year-old engineer who lost his job at a major state-owned oil company due to the US blockade. Aref, who had been working for the company for over a decade, was forced to take a pay cut just to make ends meet. "I was making a decent living, but after the sanctions were imposed, my salary was cut by over 50%," he said in an interview. "I had to take a second job just to support my family, but it's not enough. I'm struggling to make ends meet.

The situation is not unique to Aref, however. Many Iranians have lost their jobs due to the war and sanctions, and the trend is expected to continue. According to data from the International Labour Organization, Iran's unemployment rate is projected to rise to over 20% by the end of the year. This has significant implications for the country's economy, as well as for its people.

The impact of the economic crisis in Iran is far-reaching, affecting not just individuals but also entire industries and research communities. For example, the Iranian economy is heavily reliant on the oil and gas sector, which is expected to continue to decline due to the sanctions. This has significant implications for companies such as National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), which is expected to face significant financial losses in the coming years.

The crisis also has implications for the global research community, as many Iranian researchers have been forced to leave the country due to the sanctions. This has resulted in a significant loss of talent and expertise, particularly in fields such as physics and engineering. According to data from the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), the number of Iranian researchers at the organization has declined by over 50% in the past year alone.

The crisis in Iran is part of a larger pattern of economic instability in the Middle East. The region has long been plagued by conflict and sanctions, which have had a devastating impact on the local economy. For example, the war in Yemen has resulted in a significant decline in economic output, with estimates suggesting that the country's economy could decline by over 50% by the end of the year.