Iraq medical graduates protest unemployment as fears of new unrest grow

More than 1,000 medical and health graduates have protested in Baghdad, demanding government jobs amid high youth unemployment in Iraq. The demonstrations near the Finance Ministry have reportedly been met with police violence, with protesters describing the use of batons and electric shocks during what they say were peaceful protests. Iraq has long relied heavily on government employment, leaving many young graduates competing for a limited number of public-sector positions. Youth unemployment is reportedly around twice the national average of 15 percent. The demonstrations are raising concerns among Iraqi authorities about a possible return of the mass protest movement that swept across the country in 2019. That movement was driven in part by unemployment, corruption, poor public services and demands for political reform. With many of those underlying economic problems still unresolved, the latest protests highlight the growing frustration among Iraq’s young graduates. Al Jazeera’s Jack Hewson reports from Baghdad Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X : https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.news/AJEMobile #Iraq #Baghdad #IraqProtests #YouthUnemployment #Unemployment #Jobs #IraqPolitics #AlJazeeraEnglish