The Social State rises from the local level: The power of cooperation and solidarity in crisis

There is a topic discussed every day at the market, the grocery store, the bus stop, and the coffee house: “How will this life continue like this?” Because making a living is becoming more difficult day by day. While salaries remain stagnant, prices do not stop; life is expensive, finding a job is hard, and for those who do find one, the wages are insufficient. Social policies implemented against income inequality, high inflation, unemployment rates, and the high cost of living in Turkey continue to deeply affect economic and social balances. The latest labor force data from TURKSTAT and the hunger-poverty threshold research regularly announced every month by TÜRK-İŞ reveal the livelihood difficulties faced by society with figures.

The Real Unemployment Picture: A Life Struggle Beyond the Numbers

The economic data published every month by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) resonates widely in society. Inflation and unemployment are the two main topics at the center of the debates. Because unemployment is not just a number; it embodies the life struggle, hope, and disappointment of millions of people. This picture, created by people who want to work but cannot find a job, is one of the most burning issues both economically and socially.

Narrow or Broad? What Do Unemployment Figures Tell Us?

According to the March data announced by TURKSTAT on April 29, 2025, the narrow unemployment rate was announced as 7.9%. This means that approximately 2.8 million people are unemployed. However, this figure only covers those who fit the official definition, meaning those who have been actively looking for a job in the last four weeks and are available to start work within two weeks.

However, the broad unemployment rate included in the same research – also known as the “idle labor force rate” – reached 28.8%. This rate covers not only the unemployed but also the underemployed, those who have lost hope of finding a job, and those who are ready to work but are not looking for a job for various reasons. In other words, in reality, almost 3 out of every 10 people are either unemployed or cannot work full-time.

Why Is There Such a Difference?

Even though the narrow unemployment rate seems to be falling, this does not mean that the unemployment problem is actually solved. Because the calculation method contains serious limitations. For example; those who have not applied for a job in the last four weeks but are ready to work are not counted as unemployed; those working in temporary jobs for only a few hours are considered employed; and those who work somewhere for a day without receiving payment are not counted as unemployed either.

But when we look around us, we see thousands, millions of people who do not fit this definition but are actually unemployed. That is why, even if the narrow unemployment rate comes out low, the broad unemployment rate is climbing day by day.

From Past to Present: Broad Unemployment Is Constantly Increasing

While the broad unemployment rate hovered between 15-20% in the 2014-2020 period, this rate exceeded 25% after the pandemic. Today, it has reached 28.8%. This increase shows that the structural problems of the employment market in Turkey are deepening.

The unemployment rate among women is much higher than among men. According to March 2025 data, while the unemployment rate is 6.5% for men, it is at the 10.6% level for women. Unemployment has become chronic among young people, especially university graduates.

Youth Not in Education or Employment (NEET)

According to data from TURKSTAT and international organizations, the rate of “youth not in education or employment” in Turkey is still at the 25% level. These young people are not only unemployed; they are also individuals who have been pushed out of the system, lost their hope, and whose sense of belonging to the future has been damaged. This situation points not only to individual but also to social fragility.

Minimum Wage, Poverty, and Hunger Threshold

With the minimum wage becoming the average wage, high inflation, injustice in income distribution, and the constant decline in purchasing power, millions of our citizens struggling to survive on an insufficient income below the hunger-poverty threshold are demanding a stronger social and economic policy and solidarity from the central government and local governments.

The 2025 minimum wage level, despite high inflation and the revaluation rate, the decline in real wages and the resulting purchasing power, and the deterioration in income distribution, was unfortunately far below expectations, increasing by 30% to 22,104 TL.

According to the data published regularly every month for 38 years by the TÜRK-İŞ Confederation to reveal the living conditions of employees and determine the reflections of price changes in basic necessities on the family budget:

The monthly food expenditure amount that a family of 4 must make to be able to eat healthy, balanced, and sufficiently (HUNGER THRESHOLD) has risen to 24,035 TL,

The total amount of other monthly expenditures that are mandatory for food expenditure as well as clothing, housing (rent, electricity, water, fuel), transportation, education, health, and similar needs (POVERTY THRESHOLD) has risen to 78,292 TL,

The 'cost of living' for a single worker has also risen to 31,142 TL per month.

In this case, the net minimum wage remains 8% below the hunger threshold announced by TÜRK-İŞ for April, while it only reaches 28% of the poverty threshold. The net minimum wage is 1,931 TL below the hunger threshold. In other words, an individual working for minimum wage is insufficient even in accessing basic food. These figures clearly reveal the struggle for livelihood experienced by large segments of the population who cannot get a share of economic growth.

The Face of the Social State at the Local Level: Social Municipalism

While the free-market economy directs people to live more focused on their own interests, disadvantaged groups – that is, the poor, the elderly, the disabled, women, children, and other segments excluded from society – become even more fragile in this order. At this point, it becomes a great necessity for the state to look after these people with social assistance, services, and protective policies. This is where social municipalism, which is the reflection of the social state understanding at the local level, comes into play.

Municipal Support Plays a Vital Role

Food, fuel, scholarships, clothing aid; direct support provided to retirees, farmers, and low-income earners... These are not just aid; they are of vital importance for people to continue their daily lives and meet their basic needs. Especially in periods when economic crises increase and inflation remains high, these supports offered by municipalities significantly alleviate the burden on society. Social assistance is not only financial support but also moral support. It contributes to household income, ensures that people do not feel alone, and strengthens the sense of social solidarity.

City Restaurants: A Safe Harbor for Low-Income Citizens

In recent years, “City Restaurants” (Kent Lokantaları), which many municipalities have expanded, have become one of the best examples of this understanding. In these restaurants, citizens can eat healthy and filling meals at very affordable prices. Especially for low-income people, this service is not just a plate of food; it also becomes a helping hand, an opportunity to catch a breath.

Scientific research also draws attention to the importance of such services. The World Health Organization emphasizes that malnutrition leads to health problems and staying away from the workforce, especially in low-income individuals. In other words, sufficient food is not just a nutrition issue, but a public health and productivity issue.

Restaurants do not just fill stomachs, they also provide hope; City restaurants do not just offer food at an affordable price; they relieve people's budgets and allow them to allocate resources to other basic needs. At the same time, this solidarity established around tables brings people together and strengthens the feeling of “we are not alone.”

In summary; social municipalism is an understanding that stands by the citizen in periods when poverty and inequality deepen. Every restaurant established with this understanding, every support provided, every scholarship given; are actually strong links that ensure society survives together.

What Should Be Done? Suggestions for Strengthening Social Municipalism

Today, we are in a period where economic crises and social inequalities are deepening. For this reason, both the central government and local governments should review their social policy understandings and adopt a new approach that puts people at the center and aims to build livable cities. What can be done?

• City Restaurants Should Be Expanded: City restaurants should be opened in every metropolitan city and in districts where there is a need; these restaurants should be transformed into not just food, but also social service points.

• The Scope of Social Assistance Should Be Expanded: Assistance should be regular and sustainable, not periodic. Individualized assistance models should be developed according to income level, household structure, and the level of social fragility.

• Data-Driven Social Policy: Municipalities should create poverty maps neighborhood by neighborhood to provide social support in a more targeted and effective manner.

• More Resource Transfer from the Central Government: Resource transfer to the social projects of local governments should be increased; social municipalism should be defined as a constitutional duty.

• Participatory and Transparent Management: Non-governmental organizations, professional chambers, and citizens should be included in decision-making processes in the determination and implementation of social assistance and services.

Conclusion: Building the Future with Hope and Solidarity

The data from TURKSTAT and TÜRK-İŞ clearly reveal the gap between statistics and the reality of life. The minimum wage has now become the average wage, not a floor. High inflation and low purchasing power have brought millions of people to a point where they struggle to sustain their lives. Citizens now expect stronger, fairer, and permanent solutions from both the central government and local governments.

The basis of the fluctuation in unemployment in recent years is no longer just being unemployed, but problems such as having no hope of finding a job, being forced to work part-time, or waiting without making any applications. Young people and women, in particular, are the groups most affected by this situation. While the broad unemployment rate is increasing rapidly for this reason, the gap between it and the narrow rate is growing day by day.

It is possible to change this picture. But for this; The education system should be made compatible with the labor market; Vocational training and technical skills should be encouraged; Women's employment and entrepreneurship should be supported; Informal work should be prevented; Strong ties should be established between industry and educational institutions.

If these policies are implemented, our young people can stop being unemployed with diplomas and become productive individuals. On the other hand, the social state should not be a structure that only distributes aid. The main goal should be to establish a system where people can stand on their own feet, find jobs, and live humanely. In other words, social supports should exist not to make people dependent, but to ensure they can hold onto life.

The role of local governments at this point is great. Especially in recent years, social municipalism practices such as city restaurants, public markets, scholarship support, and free education services have been a lifeline for low-income citizens. However, the sustainability of these projects is possible with the financial and administrative support of the central government.

Today, we now need an understanding that prioritizes solidarity, equality, and justice. We must create not just a growing economy, but a prosperity that is fairly shared for everyone. This is possible with strong social policies, effective local governments, and participatory democracy.

And let us not forget: True development is measured not only by growth figures, but by how much the most fragile segments of society are protected. Social municipalism is a resistance against poverty, a door opened to solidarity, and the key to an egalitarian future. In every table set for bread, food, and hope, the foundations of a fairer Turkey are being laid.