TÜİK announces: Unemployment fell to 7.9 percent in the second quarter

The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) has announced labor force statistics for the second quarter of 2026. Accordingly, the unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, dropping to 7.9 percent in the April-June period.

In the same period, the number of unemployed people was calculated at 2 million 799 thousand, a decrease of 84 thousand. The unemployment rate was 6.7 percent for men and 10.3 percent for women.

The number of employed people increased by 155 thousand in the second quarter, reaching 32 million 479 thousand. The employment rate also rose by 0.1 percentage points to 48.5 percent. This rate was recorded as 65.8 percent for men and 31.6 percent for women.

The labor force increased by 71 thousand in the same period, reaching 35 million 278 thousand people. The labor force participation rate decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 52.7 percent. The labor force participation rate was determined to be 70.6 percent for men and 35.3 percent for women.

DECLINE IN YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT

The unemployment rate among the youth population, covering the 15-24 age group, also showed a decline. The youth unemployment rate fell by 1 percentage point compared to the previous quarter to 13.9 percent. This rate was estimated at 11.0 percent for young men and 19.3 percent for young women.

In terms of sectoral distribution, the largest share of employment was in the service sector. According to seasonally adjusted data, 59.8 percent of those employed worked in the service sector, 19.7 percent in industry, 13.7 percent in agriculture, and 6.8 percent in the construction sector.

Compared to the previous quarter, employment increased by 10 thousand in agriculture, 25 thousand in construction, and 240 thousand in the service sector. A loss of 121 thousand jobs was observed in the industrial sector.

The average weekly actual working hours of those at work, adjusted for seasonal and calendar effects, increased by 0.1 hours and was calculated at 42.3 hours.

News Source: 12punto