TÜİK announces unemployment figures

The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) has announced the "Labor Force Statistics 2023" data.

Accordingly, the number of unemployed persons aged 15 and over decreased by 318 thousand people in 2023 compared to the previous year, reaching 3 million 264 thousand people. The unemployment rate decreased by 1.0 percentage point to 9.4 percent. The unemployment rate was estimated at 7.7 percent for men and 12.6 percent for women.

EMPLOYMENT RATE INCREASED BY 0.8 PERCENTAGE POINTS

The number of employed persons increased by 880 thousand in 2023 compared to the previous year, reaching 31 million 632 thousand people, while the employment rate increased by 0.8 percentage points to 48.3 percent. This rate was 65.7 percent for men and 31.3 percent for women.

The labor force increased by 562 thousand in 2023 compared to the previous year, reaching 34 million 896 thousand people, and the labor force participation rate increased by 0.2 percentage points to 53.3 percent. The labor force participation rate was 71.2 percent for men and 35.8 percent for women.

YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 17.4 PERCENT

The unemployment rate in the youth population, covering the 15-24 age group, decreased by 2.0 percentage points in 2023 compared to the previous year to 17.4 percent. In this age group, the unemployment rate was estimated at 14.3 percent for men and 23.2 percent for women.

EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY DECLINED

14.8 percent of the employed were in agriculture, 21.2 percent in industry, 6.3 percent in construction, and 57.6 percent in the service sector. Compared to the previous year, the share of the service sector in total employment increased by 1.1 percentage points and the construction sector by 0.3 percentage points, while the share of the agricultural sector decreased by 1.0 percentage point and the industrial sector by 0.5 percentage points.

In 2023, 4 million 695 thousand people were employed in the agricultural sector, 6 million 711 thousand in the industrial sector, 1 million 997 thousand in the construction sector, and 18 million 230 thousand in the service sector. Compared to the previous year, the number of employed persons decreased by 171 thousand in the agricultural sector, while it increased by 48 thousand in the industrial sector, 151 thousand in the construction sector, and 852 thousand in the service sector.

INCREASE IN IDLE LABOR FORCE RATE

The idle labor force rate, consisting of time-related underemployment, potential labor force, and the unemployed, increased by 1.5 percentage points in 2023 compared to the previous year to 22.8 percent. While the combined rate of time-related underemployment and the unemployed was 15.4 percent, the combined rate of the unemployed and the potential labor force was 17.3 percent.

REGIONS WITH THE LOWEST AND HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATES

The region with the highest unemployment rate was TRB2 (Van, Muş, Bitlis, Hakkari) at 17.2 percent, while the region with the lowest unemployment rate was TR82 (Kastamonu, Çankırı, Sinop) at 4.9 percent.

The highest employment rate was recorded in the TR21 (Tekirdağ, Edirne, Kırklareli) region at 54.5 percent. The lowest employment rate was in the TRC3 (Mardin, Batman, Şırnak, Siirt) region at 37.5 percent.

The highest labor force participation rate was recorded in the TR21 (Tekirdağ, Edirne, Kırklareli) region at 59 percent. The lowest labor force participation rate was in the TRC3 (Mardin, Batman, Şırnak, Siirt) region at 42.3 percent.