The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Türkiye increased to 8.8% in October 2024, up by 0.1 percentage points from the previous month, according to a statement released by the Turkish Statistical Institute on Tuesday.

The number of unemployed individuals aged 15 and over rose by 61,000 to reach 3.175 million.

The unemployment rate for men stood at 6.9%, while for women, it was significantly higher at 12.3%.

The seasonally adjusted employment rate increased by 0.2 percentage points to 49.9% in October 2024, with the number of employed individuals rising by 156,000 to 32.97 million. Among men, the employment rate reached 67.4%, while it was 32.8% for women.

Labour force participation saw an increase of 219,000 individuals in October 2024, bringing the total to 36.146 million. The participation rate rose by 0.3 percentage points to 54.7%, with 72.4% for men and 37.4% for women.

Youth unemployment for individuals aged 15-24 was recorded at 16.6%, showing a slight decrease of 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous month. The rate was 12.6% for men and 23.9% for women in this age group.

The average weekly actual working hours, seasonally and calendar adjusted, decreased slightly to 42.5 hours, down by 0.1 hours from the previous month. Meanwhile, the composite measure of labour underutilization, which includes time-related underemployment, potential labour force, and unemployment, rose to 27.6%, up by 1.9 percentage points from September 2024. The combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment was 18.5%, while the combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force stood at 19.0%.

The Turkish Statistical Institute also noted that previous months' estimates had been revised according to seasonal adjustment methods. (ILKHA)