Türkiye's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 7.6% in June 2026, marking a 0.5 percentage-point decrease from the previous month, while employment and labor force participation continued to improve, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) said in a statement on Thursday.

The Household Labour Force Survey showed that the number of unemployed people aged 15 and over fell by 168,000 in June to 2.688 million.

The unemployment rate was estimated at 6.5% for men and 9.8% for women, highlighting a continued gender gap in the labor market.

Employment reaches 32.7 million

The number of employed people increased by 227,000 compared to May, bringing total employment to 32.733 million.

The employment rate rose by 0.3 percentage points to 48.9%, with the rate standing at 66.1% for men and 32.0% for women.

The figures indicate continued growth in employment despite ongoing global economic uncertainties.

Labor force participation edges higher

Türkiye's labor force expanded by 58,000 people in June, reaching 35.420 million.

The labor force participation rate increased by 0.1 percentage point to 52.9%, with participation at 70.7% among men and 35.4% among women.

Youth unemployment declines

The survey also showed an improvement in youth employment conditions.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate among people aged 15-24 fell by 1.8 percentage points to 12.8% in June.

Youth unemployment was estimated at 10.4% for young men and 17.3% for young women.

Average working hours increase slightly

Seasonally and calendar-adjusted average weekly actual working hours increased marginally during the month.

According to TurkStat, employees worked an average of 42.5 hours per week in June, up 0.1 hour from the previous month.

Labor underutilization eases

Broader measures of labor market slack also showed improvement.

The composite labor underutilization rate, which combines unemployment, time-related underemployment and the potential labor force, declined by 2.0 percentage points to 28.8% in June.

Meanwhile, the combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment stood at 18.5%, while the combined unemployment and potential labor force rate was estimated at 19.2%.

The latest labor market data point to improving employment conditions in Türkiye, with falling unemployment, rising employment and stronger labor force participation suggesting continued resilience in the country's labor market during the second quarter of 2026. (ILKHA)