Iran nuclear accord has led to scramble for the best employees

Teheran

LADANE Nasseri Aryan's timing was impeccable: Months after he returned to Iran from college in Canada, job offers started to pile up. A decade of economic sanctions was drawing to an end in early 2016 as he settled back home, prompting a frenzied chase for Iran's small pool of white collar professionals.

"It's a battle for talent," said Aseyeh Hatami, founder and managing director of Iran's leading jobs website, Iran Talent. Those with skills "and who are fit for a professional work environment are seized immediately", she said.

The thriving metropolitan upper middle class that includes Mr Aryan is a natural constituency for moderat…