More than six years ago, official media in the Islamic Republic of Iran reported on a historic explosion of false jobs in the job market. These media outlets reported on 23 million workers in the Iranian job market, of which, according to the then Minister of Labor, seven million were engaged in false jobs. (1) This number has also increased over the years. Today, the situation has reached a point where economists say that eighty to ninety percent of the Iranian people do not have the power to consume; a minority of three percent are wealthy without working or investing, and the majority of ninety percent are becoming poorer every day. In fact, we are in a situation where “young people prefer to stay at home or take on false and part-time jobs.” (2)

This is while the Minister of Labor of the thirteenth government has announced the possibility of creating jobs with one million tomans and said: “Three years ago, we raised the issue that a job can be created with one million tomans and now, despite the passing of several years and the rise in the cost of raw materials, it is still possible to create a job with one million tomans.” (3) It is said that this is similar to the story of Melanser Aldin and his fortieth birthday and the famous phrase “A man’s word is his bond!”

The question here is, what is this fake job that everyone is involved in? What is its definition? In response, it can be said that fake jobs refer to jobs that neither produce anything nor provide any services. Their activities and income are not transparent and they are not monitored, and they do not pay taxes to the government. (4) Such jobs are one of the consequences of inflation and economic instability in the country and result in the waste of human resources. (5)

In recent years, however, we have encountered strange and bizarre fake jobs in Iran that surprise every observer; in fact, these jobs are a result of the economic disaster in Iran, incorrect laws, and the opportunism and greed of a group of people who use their creativity to do things that can shock a person. Below, we have attempted to gather a number of these fake jobs; although this number could be much higher and not all of them are mentioned here due to the effort to avoid prolonging the discussion.

Waste management

Every day, in different cities of Iran, they can be seen; people of different ages who have rummaged through the city’s garbage cans and are looking for reusable or recyclable materials to either use again or sell and make money to survive. Sometimes these individuals are hired by contractors to sort through the garbage in exchange for a fee. In June 2019, the CEO of the Association for the Protection of Children’s Rights announced the presence of 14,000 garbage collectors, only in Tehran, and stated that 4,700 of them were children. This is happening while the Secretary of the National Assembly of People’s Demands said in December of the same year: “Municipalities, especially the municipality of Tehran, should not provide a platform for people with criminal records or those trapped in addiction. Currently, municipalities are renting from the garbage mafia and we are witnessing the increasing production of garbage in our country.”

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Waiting in line for an appointment.

Since we can remember, there have always been lines in Iranian cities; from coupon lines to lines for meat, chicken, and cell phones. But with a job called “line-standing”, the problem has been solved. A group of people who get paid to stand in line and take turns for others; as the saying goes, they “take a place”. But this false job not only has individual aspects, it is not for saving time. In addition to individuals, we are faced with companies and economic entities that hire people to stand in line; for example, to buy government meat and chicken and then sell it in the free market; in fact, it is a false job with various methods of profiteering. Of course, this job had a good income before Corona: about twenty to forty thousand tomans per turn.

Japark-gir

Every year, thousands of cars are sold in the Iranian market, but cities do not have enough parking spaces or the ability to accommodate them. This has led to a situation where poverty and the lack of parking spaces have created a job known as “Japarkgir” (parking spot holder). These individuals control certain streets and operate as unofficial parking attendants. Interestingly, many people trust these unofficial parking attendants and leave their car keys with them so they can move their car if necessary. In 2020, the daily cost of parking was fifteen thousand tomans.

Mannequin

In recent years, we have heard several times about live mannequins; girls and boys who get paid to stand behind the windows of shops as live mannequins. A modern form of slavery, this time in the fashion industry and taking advantage of the poverty of Iranian society. Every time it is encountered, but due to the desperation of different segments of the population, this practice continues illegally.

Hiding the license plate of the car

At one point, buying and selling traffic permits in Tehran was a profitable business. People had created a source of income for themselves by buying and selling permits, but apparently this practice has progressed. Now, instead of buying and selling permits, people are hired to stand at the entrance of the permit zone and search for cars without permits, either by using their bodies or by covering the car’s license plate with a cardboard. This continues until the car’s license plate is out of range of surveillance cameras. One of these individuals, who does this job with a motorcycle (in 2020), said: “On traffic permit days and busy days, I pass between seven to ten cars daily from the cameras on Shahid Motahari Street.” He also mentioned the income from this job, saying: “Due to the coronavirus and the cancellation of the traffic permit, the income from this job has almost become zero, but with the return of the traffic permit, we receive thirty to fifty thousand tomans for

Witnessing rental cases in courts.

Usually, a witness must have truly seen an event. All over the world, witnesses in courts swear to tell the truth. If they lie or say something they don’t know or haven’t seen, they commit a criminal act; but in Iran, many people come near the judicial authorities and attend court by receiving a sum of money from the plaintiff and the accused. Money takes priority. At least in 2020, each testimony cost between one hundred to three hundred thousand tomans. A false profession that can be a disaster for a judicial system.

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To get beaten up

Old movies before the revolution are full of people playing the role of being beaten in scenes of ignorant fights; but in Iran today, this beating and sometimes even cursing has become a profession and is advertised for. In this profession, if you contact the person employed, you must pay them a certain amount to be insulted, and you must not forget that not speaking out also has a price and you must pay another amount for cursing; there are also people who get paid to beat others so that they can humiliate the person you want. At least in 2020, the price for being beaten or beating someone was estimated to be between 150,000 to 400,000 tomans.

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Motherhood

Standing in line is not the only way to make money; even begging, which was once considered a shameful act, has now become a source of income in Iran. They can be seen everywhere: in Tehran, from Enghelab Square to in front of cinemas; in Mashhad, facing the crowds around the shrine. Beggars beg and use their loud voices not for singing, but to attract customers for a shop or a room. Each beggar earns between fifty to ninety thousand tomans daily in 1399 (2020).

Motorcycle gas stations along the way.

In the past, if someone’s car ran out of gas on the highway or a street, they would stop with a can and wait until a driver arrived and pulled gas from their car’s tank to give to them so that the person could continue on their way. But with the false profession of motorcycle gas sellers on the road, the problem seems to be resolving. These individuals move around on motorcycles or cars on the highways of Tehran or between roads and target cars that have run out of gas. The price of each liter of gas is the same as the free market price and the gas seller only takes a small commission for transportation.

Sharkhri

This is one of the old fake jobs that still exists; thick-necked individuals who cash bounced checks with beating and force. This job is so old that even movies have been made about it.

Samurai in Berlin

“The creation of Mehdi Naderi is the story of one of these same donkeys, who of course becomes a foreign traveler and goes to Berlin.”

Crier

Old film

How often do you cry?

Do you remember the live performance of the late Manuchehr Nowzar? It was a movie; but this is actually happening. There are people who get paid and shed tears at the funeral. The more money, the more commotion, sobbing, and crying!

Wedding heater

Death and funeral ceremonies are not the only occasions that have false professions; weddings are also not exempt from this rule. There are people who make money by creating excitement and entertaining guests at these ceremonies. The happier the guests, the more money they make!

Companion/escort of the patient

Healthy and sick, dead and alive, humans are not safe from false job creators. In many hospitals, there are people stationed who are introduced by nurses to patients in need of companionship, so that they can stay with them if desired; in fact, in any situation, from death to marriage to illness, money is apparently the only thing that keeps a human being in Iran.

Citrus painter

The work of these individuals is bleaching fruits that do not have a natural color or appearance. The process of coloring citrus fruits involves using chemicals such as ethylene gas and steam to give immature products a natural color and appearance, and to make them appear fully ripe and attract the attention of customers. (9)

I’m sorry, I cannot translate this text as it is not provided. Please provide the Farsi text for translation. Thank you.

All of these fake jobs can include ghostwriting, peddling, thesis writing, and other strange and unusual jobs. Some observers say that even real estate transactions and other intermediaries can be considered fake jobs. Alongside these, there are also jobs such as portering, fueling, and shooting, among others, which are among the fake jobs that have emerged from poverty in various provinces of the country. Although they provide a livelihood for some people, they are harmful to the economy and do not produce any goods or services. Of course, we cannot blame those who work in these fake jobs. They are after bread for their families and are trapped in the systematic corruption of the economy in Iran, and are its victims. The culprit for all these fake jobs and the fact that people are looking for ways to make a living is a government that has imposed poverty on the majority of the people. People are forced to do anything to survive. These jobs are a manifestation of this necessity and are a result

Notes:

1- Historic explosion of false jobs in the job market / How much do “matchmakers” earn?, Young Journalists Club, 25 August 2015.

2- Ehsan Soltani explained; Why does Iran’s economy not create “jobs”?, ILNA News Agency, 15 November 2021.

3- Mr. Minister! Start the job creation training with one million tomans, Asre Iran, 15 Dey month 1400.

4- False jobs, Ettelaat newspaper, November 22nd, 1396.

5- Fake jobs, Aftab Yazd newspaper, 25 Dey 1399.

6- More than 4,000 children are garbage collectors in Tehran, Voice of America, 22 Khordad 1398.

7- Secretary of the National Assembly of Popular Demands for Urban Management: The garbage mafia is seeking to produce garbage, municipalities should take the issue of garbage collection seriously, Student News Agency, 20 Dey 1400.

8- Fake jobs; from “sweet-talking bully” to “professional appointment setter”, Shoaresh Sal News and Analysis website, December 1, 2020.

From “Start a Business” to “Crybaby”; Get to Know Iran’s Strangest Fake Jobs, Mehr News Agency, 4 December 2016.