Al-Bayan Center for Planning and Studies hosted the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Ahmed Al-Asadi, in a seminar entitled “The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs: Paths, Trends and Future Aspirations.”
The seminar was attended by a number of journalists and prominent figures interested in public affairs in Iraq. In the presence of a number of journalists, prominent figures and those interested in public affairs in Iraq, the seminar dealt with poverty rates in Iraq, the reality of workers, as well as the challenges facing the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
“There are more than 1.6 million unemployed people,” al-Asadi said, noting that “out of 6 million workers, only 300,000 are officially registered,” and that “the culture of security in Iraq is missing.” Al-Asadi emphasized that “the ministry has not received a single dinar from the budget regarding the seventh installment of social welfare,” noting that “more than two million families are receiving social welfare salaries,” adding: “Those who are able are supposed to go out to work.” Regarding the governance system, al-Asadi announced that “the automation system will be completed in the Pension and Social Security Department within 4 months.”
 Al-Asadi revealed that “37,000 new jobs will be provided annually for Iraqi youth between the ages of 18 and 25, through a contract with the Ministry of Interior,” noting that “this initiative aims to reduce unemployment rates among Iraqi youth and enhance their participation in the labor market. Al-Asadi also touched on the issue of foreign labor in Iraq, describing it as “a hot issue that requires real solutions,” stressing that “there are no accurate official statistics on the number of foreign workers in Iraq, and that their entry into the country is often done illegally.
Speaking about the issue of children in Iraq, al-Asadi announced that Iraq was removed from the “list of shame” last year, pointing out that “Iraq is free from the use of children in armed conflicts.”
