Iraq's Unemployment Realities and Causes: An Analytical Study

Abstract

The main problem currently experienced by the countries of the world is the problem of unemployment, as the latter has become a social phenomenon of universal status, whether society is advanced or developing. After being part of the economic cycle, unemployment has become a structural problem, particularly in developing countries, where unemployment is generally exacerbated by the failure of development efforts, worsening external debt, and implementing strict financial discipline programs. Most countries in the Arab world have pursued different development paths for economic growth. Still, these paths have been unsustainable for a long time, as fluctuations in oil revenues during the mid-1980s have affected the results of development policies, creating several problems requiring economic reforms and restructuring. In all its forms and guises, unemployment has had a significant impact on the living standards of the workforce. Accordingly, lead to changes in the people's real income, resulting in poor purchasing power, changing consumption, and a significant loss to the national economy due to its survival below the level of total employment. Unemployment also leads to waste of human resources, particularly those with a high stock of human capital.