Unemployment fund worked for bosses: One in every two unemployed people could not get a share from the fund

Half of those who applied to the Unemployment Insurance Fund were unable to qualify for unemployment benefits.

In the first 11 months of last year, only 673 thousand 360 people out of 1 million 483 thousand 875 unemployed people who applied for unemployment benefits were granted a salary. The resources transferred to employers in 2023 increased by 39.65 percent, reaching 39 billion 932 million 441 thousand TL. According to the Turkish Employment Agency's (İŞKUR) Unemployment Insurance Fund 2023 Bulletin, the fund's assets increased by 58.44 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year, reaching 196 billion 950 million 756 thousand TL.

ONLY 45 PERCENT WERE ABLE TO QUALIFY

According to the report by Deniz Bilici Göçmen from Sözcü, the increase in fund expenditures rose by 111.1 percent in the same period, from 55 billion 552 million 46 thousand TL to 117 billion 270 million 967 thousand TL. İŞKUR has not yet announced the annual data regarding unemployment benefit figures in its monthly bulletin, but while the number of people who applied for the allowance in January-November 2023 was 1 million 483 thousand 875, only 673 thousand 360 people were able to access the allowance.

The number of those who qualified for the allowance was only 45.38 percent of the applicants. In the same period of 2022, the ratio of those who qualified to those who applied for the allowance was 47.94 percent. The amount paid within the scope of incentives and support payments to employers was 28 billion 594 million 495 thousand liras in 2022, while it increased by 39.65 percent in 2023 to 39 billion 932 million 441 thousand TL.

In 2023, a total of 21 billion 673 million 856 thousand TL was paid to the unemployed. The total amount of unemployment benefits paid to the unemployed since March 2002, when the fund was activated, remained at 69 billion 502 million 472 thousand 570 TL. 74 percent of the amount paid to the unemployed in 21 years was paid to employers in just 1 year.

UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE ARE NOT REGISTERING WITH İŞKUR

In 2023, 1 million 237 thousand 26 people were placed in jobs through İŞKUR. Job placements through İŞKUR decreased by 158 thousand 633 people, or 11.37 percent, in 2023 compared to the previous year. In the same period, the number of unemployed people registered with İŞKUR also declined by 632 thousand 999 people. The number of unemployed people registered with İŞKUR fell by 20.73 percent in 2023 to 2 million 420 thousand 451. According to the data of the Turkish Statistical Institute, while employment shows a decrease, this decline in unemployment indicates that the unemployed are not registering with İŞKUR.

News Source: 12punto