Turkish Jobless Rate Rises to 8.1% in July

Turkey’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 8.1% in July 2026 from 7.6% in the previous month, which was the lowest jobless rate since the data series began in 2005. The latest reading was the same as the May figure, with the number of unemployed individuals increasing by 150,000 to 2.86 million. By gender, the jobless rate stood at 6.8% for men and 10.6% for women. Among youth aged 15–24, the unemployment rate climbed to 14.5% from 13.0%, with rates of 11.3% for men and 20.3% for women. Meanwhile, the employment rate fell to 48.3% from 48.9%, as the number of employed persons decreased by 338,000 to 32.36 million. The labor force participation rate dropped to 52.5% from 52.9%, with the labor force declining by 238,000 to 35.22 million. Average weekly actual working hours stood at 42.0 hours in July, down by 0.4 hours from the previous month.

Turkey’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 7.6% in June 2026 from a downwardly revised 8.1% in the previous month. It was the lowest jobless rate since the data series began in 2005, as the number of unemployed individuals fell by 168,000 to 2.69 million, the lowest level since February 2014. By gender, the jobless rate stood at 6.5% for men and 9.8% for women. Among youth aged 15–24, the unemployment rate declined to 12.8% from 14.6%, with rates of 10.4% for men and 17.3% for women. Meanwhile, the employment rate rose to 48.9% from 48.6%, as the number of employed persons increased by 227,000 to a 15-month high of 32.73 million. The labor force participation rate edged up to 52.9% from 52.8%, marking the highest in three months, with the labor force increasing by 58 thousand to 35.42 million. Average weekly actual working hours stood at 42.5 hours in June, up by 0.1 hours from the previous month.

Turkey’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 8.2% in May 2026, unchanged from the previous month. The number of unemployed individuals decreased by 9 thousand to 2.88 million. By gender, the jobless rate stood at 7.0% for men and 10.5% for women. Among youth aged 15–24, the unemployment rate increased to 14.8% from 14.4%, with rates of 11.2% for men and 21.8% for women. Meanwhile, the employment rate rose to 48.5% from 48.1%, as the number of employed persons increased by 285 thousand to 32.46 million. The labor force participation rate climbed to 52.8% from 52.4%, with the labor force increasing by 293 thousand to 35.35 million. Average weekly actual working hours stood at 42.4 hours in May, up by 0.2 hours from the previous month.