Statistics and information on manpower were first collected in several important cities in 1318 by the General Department of Statistics and Registration. By the implementation of the first national population census by the General Department of Public Statistics in 1335, some information was obtained in this area. During the implementation of several statistical surveys on agriculture, manufacturing and population, related manpower issues were taken into consideration inter alia. In 1337 and 1341, the Planning Organization in collaboration with the General Department of Manpower Studies and Statistics of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs implemented surveys on manpower and dessiminated their results. During the implementation of national censuses of population and housing in 1345, 1355, 1365, 1375 and the 1370 Multi-Round Population Survey, the SCI also collected basic statistics on manpower. Moreover, the Sample Survey of Employment and Unemployment Characteristics has been conducted since 1376 by the SCI. The information presented in this chapter is based on the results of the 1375 National Census of Population and Housing and the former ones, the 1370 Multi-Round Population Survey, Sample Survey of Employment and Unemployment Characteristics as well as the statistical reports of the former State Organization for Employment and Administrative Affairs. The presented statistics takes in economically active and not economically active population, characteristics of employed population of different economic sectors and statistics on the government employees. However, the following points are remarkable:

1. Due to recent changes in administrative divisions, the provincial data arrived in tables 3.4, 3.9, 3.12 and 3.16 were adjusted according to the results of the 1375 Census of Population and Housing and complementary calculations

made in the SCI.

2. Due to the changes in the classification of “major industry and occupation groups” in the 1375 National Census which renders comparisons between the results of this census and those of previous ones impossible, only data for the latest census is included.

3. In the Survey of Employment and Un-employment Characteristics, sample statistical population consists of only private settled households, and institutional and private unsettled households are excluded.

4. Statistics on the government employees are usually produced every two years.

5. Statistics on each ministry or institute include data related to all affiliated units and organizations as well.

6. There has been no access to the statistics on the employees of the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Defence and Logistics, armed forces and its affiliated companies, and police department, due to the confidentiality of information, and also to the statistics on the employees of the firms covered by government organizations because of their particular employment status.

Definitions and concepts

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 are considered as economically active population.

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 are considered not economically active population and are classified under student, homemaker, income recipient or other groups.

Employed: all persons who have been working or had a job during the last seven days preceding the enumeration but had not worked because of different reasons (as being on leave or sick leave, etc.) are considered as employed. In the 1345 and 1355 National Censuses of Population and Housing, however, those who had worked 8 hours or more per week were considered employed while in the 1365 and 1375 National Censuses of Population and Housing as well as the 1370 Multi-Round Population Survey, and the 1376-1381 Surveys of the Household Employment and Unemployment Characteristics those who had worked 2 days during the last seven days preceding the enumeration were considered as employed. Also in the 1365, 1375 National Censuses of Population and Housing, the 1370 Multi-Round Population Survey, and the 1376-1381 Surveys of the Household Employment and Unemployment Characteristics, those who had a job, but during the last seven days preceding the enumeration were not working due to the seasonal nature of their work (seasonally unemployed), in case of not seeking other job, were considered as employed, but they were included with the unemployed (seeking work) in 1345 and 1355 Censuses. Also it should be noted that in the 1335, 1345, 1355 and 1375 Censuses, the 1370 Multi-Round Population Survey, and the 1376-1380 Surveys of the Household Employment and Unemployment Characteristics, data were collected for population 10 years of age and over while in the 1365 Census, data were collected for population 6 years of age and over. In all the mentioned censuses and surveys all persons who were engaged in military service were considered as employed.

Unemployed (seeking work): those who are not considered employed and were unemployed (seeking work) during the last seven days preceding the enumeration are included in this category. Those who were not working during the last seven days preceding the enumeration due to the seasonal nature of their work, in case of seeking other work, are considered unemployed.

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

Homemaker: in the 1335, 1345 and 1355 Censuses, all women who were not considered as employed or unemployed (seeking work) and were engaged in homemaking activities in their own home during the last seven days preceding the enumeration were considered as homemaker. In the 1365 and 1375 Censuses and the 1376-1381 Surveys of the Household Employment and Unemployment Characteristics, all men or women who were not considered employed, unemployed (seeking work) 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 (seeking work), student or retired and were engaged in homemaking activities were regarded as homemakers.

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

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

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

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

Major occupation groups: according to the study of existing occupations of the country and their coordination with International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO), 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 a major occupation group.

Urban, rural areas and settled population: for related definitions please refer to “Chapter 2.”