Decent Work in Rural Regions of IRAN

Purpose: Labor market is one of the most important markets in Iran as in many developed and developing countries. However, although attention to this market has always been at the forefront of economic planning, but in most cases, quantity matters more than quality in this market. It is also visible as regional differences especially the case in urban areas. Therefore, the study of the quality of labor market in rural regions is very important in each aspect. Various indices can be used to evaluate the quality of labor market, decent work is one of those. Therefore, this paper attempts to evaluate the rural areas in terms of this indicator.
Methodology: The numerical taxonomy method is used to separate homogeneous areas from non-homogeneous regions and TOPSIS method is applied to assimilate the parameters in homogeneous areas.
Finding: The results show that both of Tehran and Sistan and Baluchestan Provinces are situated in non-homogeneous regions in terms of decent work. In addition, this indicator is improved only about Mazandaran, Qom and Kohgiluyeh and Boyerahmad provinces in the final year of the forth economic development program in comparison with first year of this plan. In addition and based on the results of this study, rural areas according to the decent work index haven’t gone to the homogeneity and there are obvious differences between the labor markets in rural areas.
Research limitation: ILO introduced a set of 30 decent work indices in order to enable countries to assess and evaluate their job market. While, only 9 indicators is possible to calculate considering to available data in rural areas of Iran. Hence, creating the possibility for achieving to all of decent work and thus calculating the indicators of decent work in rural areas as a whole is the strategy of the future.
Practical implications: The results of this study suggest that rural areas is not homogenous regions in terms of decent work indices and the decent work indicators in 2009 compared to 2005 decreased in most rural areas. Hence, according to the market policies, the rural-urban migrations cannot be expected to decrease and so it is necessary to promote decent work indicators in rural areas.
Original/value: In this study in addition to quantitative aspects (decrease in unemployment rate and job creation), the qualitative dimension the rural labor market is assessed for the first time in these areas, an approach that could be considered by labor market policy makers as a whole and policy makers in the field of rural areas of Iran specially.