Labour and Employment in Rural Iran: A Case Study in the Subdistrict of Dowlat Abad in the Country of Marand

Abstract

Due to the increase in labour supply resulting from population growth on the one hand, and the limited labour absorption capacity of agriculture on the other, the gap between supply of, and demand for, agricultural labour in rural areas in Iran is growing. Migration to urban centres is neither a solution for the rural unemployed or for the nation, since urban areas themselves are already suffering from surplus labour and unemployment problems. The rural non-farm sector offers some employment opportunities and the growth of this sector is evident from rural employment data. However, the growth of the non-farm sector in rural areas of the country does not necessarily mean improvement and better utilisation of rural labour. In order to contribute to understanding of these complex issues, this thesis aims to explore the characteristics and composition of the labour force, its changes over time, and the availability of employment opportunities for the labour force in a sample region of rural Iran. To achieve the aims of this study, a sample of villages in the Northwest of the country was selected for case study. Part One of the thesis sets the context for, and describes the aims of, the study. Within this, general issues pertinent to the rural labour force in developing countries and the aims and objectives of the study are presented in Chapter One. Chapter Two explores factors affecting labour and employment in rural Iran and the research methodology for the study is described in Chapter Three. Part Two examines the current situation pertaining to the supply of labour in the study area. The two major factors affecting the supply of labour, demographic changes and labour force participation, are discussed in Chapters Four and Five, and Chapter Six documents the workforce characteristics. Chapters Seven and Eight explore the demand for labour by examining the employment potential of the farm and non-farm sectors. A summary of the findings of the study is provided in Chapter Nine, suggesting that while the growth of some non-farm activities indicates a positive diversification, the growing numbers of the workforce in some others is mostly a response to the limited employment opportunities in the farm sector.