Turkey’s broad unemployment rate surpasses 24% in June

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Data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) reveals a marginal increase in the unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 and above in June, reaching 9.6%, up by 0.1 percentage points from the previous month.

The number of unemployed rose by 2,000 to a total of 3.33 million people. The unemployment rate stood at 7.8% for men and 13.2% for women.

However, the broader measurement of unemployment saw a notable increase of 1.7 percentage points, reaching 24.2% compared to the previous month. Termed as “labor underutilization rate” by TurkStat, the broad unemployment rate encompasses individuals facing time-related underemployment, potential workforce, and the unemployed.

The combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment was estimated at 16.6%, while the integrated rate of unemployment and potential workforce was projected at 17.9%.

Employment rate

In terms of the employed, the data indicated a decline of 363,000 individuals, bringing the total number of employed to 31.291 million people. The employment rate also saw a minor decrease of 0.6 percentage points, settling at 47.8%. These figures exhibited a difference between genders, with the employment rate being 65.2% for men and 30.8% for women.

Age groups

Looking at the specific age group of 15 to 24-year-olds, the unemployment rate showed a moderate increase of 1.2 percentage points, reaching 18.6%. Within this category, the unemployment rate was recorded at 15.4% for men and 24.2% for women.

Average working time

Among those actively employed during the reference period, the average weekly working hours in June, adjusted for seasonal and calendar factors, increased by 0.7 hours compared to the previous month, reaching a total of 44.6 hours. (VK)