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Fed up with talk, Iranians demand action on jobs

Three years into his term, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is running out of time to fulfill his campaign promise of lowering unemployment.
An unemployed labourer smokes a cigarette as he waits for a job offer on a sidewalk in Tehran, Iran January 20, 2016. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA  ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY.   - RTX238JA

TEHRAN, Iran — When he took office in August 2013, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani faced an ailing economy, high unemployment and a nuclear standoff with the West.

The Rouhani administration has managed to resolve the nuclear issue, clinching a deal with six world powers in July 2015. It had hoped that the removal of economic sanctions under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action would spur investment that would help rebuild the economy and create jobs. But with only a year left of his term, Rouhani continues to face the unresolved challenges of an economy in recession and high unemployment.

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