Türkiye’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 8.6% in April 2025, marking a 0.6 percentage point increase from the previous month, according to data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) on Friday.

The number of unemployed individuals aged 15 and over increased by 203,000, reaching a total of 3.06 million. The unemployment rate was estimated at 7.1% for men and a significantly higher 11.5% for women.

Employment and Labour Force Participation Drop

The total number of employed persons dropped by 316,000, falling to 32.36 million. Consequently, the seasonally adjusted employment rate declined by 0.5 percentage points to 48.8%. Gender-wise, employment stood at 65.8% for men and only 32.2% for women, reflecting persistent gender disparities in the labor market.

The labour force participation rate also decreased by 0.2 percentage points, settling at 53.4%. The total labour force was reported at 35.42 million, down by 114,000 from the previous month. Participation remained notably higher among men (70.9%) compared to women (36.4%).

Youth and Underemployment Rates Climb

Youth unemployment, covering individuals aged 15–24, rose to 15.7%, a 0.4 percentage point increase from March. The rate was estimated at 11.2% for young men and a much higher 23.7% for young women, signaling growing challenges for young job seekers, especially females.

The average weekly actual working hours of employed individuals decreased to 42.2 hours, down by 1.2 hours from the previous month, based on seasonally and calendar-adjusted data.

Labour Underutilization Hits 32.2%

The composite measure of labour underutilization, which combines unemployment, time-related underemployment, and the potential labor force, jumped by 3.4 percentage points to 32.2% in April.

The combined rate of unemployment and time-related underemployment stood at 22.5%, while the combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force was 20.0%, highlighting continued inefficiencies in the labor market and challenges in absorbing the full potential of the workforce. (ILKHA)