Foras Factsheet

Unemployment, underemployment, and the absence of middle-class economic opportunity combine to threaten Iraqi security and stability. In a country with a very high population of young and educated but unemployed people and extremely limited representation of women in the labor force, marginalized populations—especially those who are internally displaced—face enormous challenges in achieving economic security. To address these concerns, USAID/Iraq and FHI 360 have worked together to design Foras, a forward-looking, demand-driven program that offers a comprehensive approach to address the unemployment problem in Iraq, especially for these priority populations.

USAID/IRAQ Foras is an economic growth project with the goal of improving economic opportunities for Iraqis with special emphasis on youth, women and vulnerable populations. Foras employs a dual-customer approach to meet the needs of both employers and job seekers. On the demand side, the program ensures that employers at the national and local level have better access to skilled employees. On the supply side, Foras works with local service providers to provide accelerated skills training.