Hormozgan unemployment reaches 20,000 amid economic recession

Approximately 20,000 workers in Hormozgan province are facing unemployment due to a severe economic recession and widespread business closures. Ismail Hajizadeh, executive secretary of the Hormozgan Workers' House, reported that the crisis is affecting various sectors, including the hospitality industry and companies located at Shahid Rajaee Port.

Specific instances of layoffs include the Persian Gulf five-star hotel in Bandar Abbas, which laid off its entire staff after a four-month closure, and Sina Company. Additionally, Madkoush Steel Company in the Persian Gulf Special Economic Zone recently saw the layoff of 250 workers. Some companies have reduced worker schedules to just 10 days per month or referred employees to labor offices to facilitate unemployment insurance.

The economic strain is compounded by a massive gap between wages and the cost of living. Hajizadeh noted that the actual cost of a basic livelihood basket has reached approximately 90 million tomans, while minimum wages hover between 17 and 18 million tomans. This disparity, alongside inflation, has forced many trained specialists into informal or precarious jobs, such as taxi driving or fuel smuggling.