ISTANBUL — For Rasoul, a 42-year-old Tehran engineer, driving for Snapp was supposed to be a fallback if his technology job ever disappeared. Instead, war and rising costs have made even that option unsustainable. Rasoul was laid off in February after government restrictions on internet access disrupted the global networks his company relied on and drove away customers. He began driving at night for Snapp, Iran’s ride-hailing equivalent of Uber, but higher fuel prices, expensive vehicle repairs and the danger of traveling during ongoing airstrikes quickly consumed his earnings. He eventually turned to relatives for help. He and his wife have also postponed plans to start a family. Rasoul is among many Iranians facing a worsening employment crisis as the conflict with the United States and Israel, tighter U.S. sanctions and a blockade affecting the Strait of Hormuz disrupt businesses and push up the cost of daily life. Inflation has sharply increased the price of food, rent and fuel, forcing some households to borrow money and delay major decisions. Iran’s official unemployment rate is about 9%, but independent analysts say the actual figure is substantially higher. Jobvision, a major Iranian employment platform, recorded a 50% increase in résumé submissions in late April, a sign of growing competition for scarce work. Alireza Mahjoob, head of Iran’s Workers House labor organization, acknowledged the severity of the problem during a May appearance on state television. He warned that joblessness could inflict further damage on an already vulnerable working class. The economic shock has reached beyond technology and service work. Kayvan, a 42-year-old materials engineer in Tehran, helped a Chinese company build a business supplying raw materials to Iran’s oil industry. As fighting intensified, shipping and transit routes were disrupted and maritime commerce largely stopped. Clients could no longer place orders, and the company collapsed. Kayvan said the experience of leaving his job felt like clearing out a desk after a sudden dismissal. His family has since depended on his wife’s income and savings that are rapidly running down. “Terrifying inflation, unprecedented price hikes — we’ve genuinely never experienced days like these before,” Kayvan said. He said the conflict must end because families are “all just falling apart.” Rasoul found another job as a sales manager in July, but he does not consider the position secure. With businesses struggling and the conflict continuing, he compared ordinary Iranians to passengers on a train who cannot see whether the bridge ahead is intact.