Sharp rise in unemployment benefit applications: 630 thousand people applied

The Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR) revealed in its monthly bulletin for May 2026 that the rise in unemployment benefit applications continues. A significant increase in the number of applicants was observed compared to the first four months of 2025.

The number of people who applied for unemployment benefits between January and April of this year increased by 8.4 percent to 630,794. However, due to strict legal requirements for eligibility, only about half of the applicants were able to receive assistance. Although the number of people entitled to receive support increased by 1.4 percent compared to the same period last year, this number remained at 285,137. Accordingly, the rate of those who obtained unemployment benefits fell to 45.2 percent; in the same period last year, this rate was 48.3 percent.

Applications made in April 2026 reached 136,626. Of these, 64,921 people became eligible to receive benefits, and the benefit rate was recorded at 47.5 percent.

When applications are examined by age group, the highest demand came from the 25-29 age range with a 22.1 percent share. The share of young people in the 20-34 age range within total applications reached 52.94 percent. These data indicate that unemployment anxiety and benefit applications among young people persist.