Türkiye’s labor market showed signs of improvement as the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 8.4% in May 2025, down 0.2 percentage points from April, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) Household Labour Force Survey.

The number of unemployed individuals aged 15 and older decreased by 69,000, totaling approximately 2.97 million. Unemployment rates varied significantly by gender, with men at 6.5% and women at 11.9%.

Employment saw a slight uptick, with the seasonally adjusted employment rate rising to 49.0%, a 0.1 percentage point increase from the previous month. The number of employed persons grew by 100,000 to 32.5 million. However, gender disparities persisted, with male employment participation at 66.3% compared to 32.2% for women.

The overall labor force participation rate remained stable at 53.5%, with a modest increase of 31,000 individuals, bringing the total labor force to 35.5 million. Men’s participation rate stood at 70.9%, while women’s was 36.5%.

Youth unemployment (ages 15-24) also improved, dropping 0.3 percentage points to 15.4%. The rate was significantly lower for young men (11.0%) than for young women (23.5%).

Average weekly working hours increased by 0.6 hours to 42.7, signaling stronger labor market engagement. The composite measure of labor underutilization, which includes time-related underemployment, potential labor force, and unemployment, fell by 1.1 percentage points to 31.0%. The combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment was 20.7%, while unemployment and potential labor force stood at 20.2%.

Despite ongoing challenges with gender disparities and youth employment, these figures indicate steady progress in Türkiye’s labor market. (ILKHA)