Turkey’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 7.9% in the second quarter of 2026, down 0.3 percentage points from the previous quarter, according to Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) data.
The seasonally and calendar-adjusted labor underutilization rate, which includes time-related underemployment, the potential labor force and unemployed people, fell by 0.2 percentage points to 29%.
Labor force
Employment increased by 155,000 from the previous quarter to 32.479 million people, while the seasonally adjusted employment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 48%. The rate stood at 65.8%for men and 31.6% for women.
The labor force expanded by 71,000 to 35.278 million people, while the labor force participation rate declined by 0.1 percentage points to 52.7%. Participation was 70.6% among men and 35.3% among women.
Gender breakdown
The unemployment rate was estimated at 6.7% for men and 10.3% for women.
Youth unemployment
Among people aged 15 to 24, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell by 1 percentage point to 13.9%. Youth unemployment was estimated at 11% for men and 19.3% for women.
Sectors
Employment increased by 240,000 in services, 25,000 in construction and 10,000 in agriculture compared with the previous quarter. Industrial employment fell by 121,000.
Services accounted for 59.8%of total employment, followed by industry at 19.7%, agriculture at 13.7% and construction at 6.8%
Working time
The seasonally and calendar-adjusted average actual weekly working time for people who were at work during the reference period rose by 0.1 hours to 42.3 hours.
The combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment stood at 19%, while the combined rate of the potential labor force and unemployment was estimated at 2%. (VK)
Source: BIANET
