Türkiye’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 8.1% in July 2026, increasing by 0.5 percentage points from the previous month, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) announced in a statement on Monday.

The latest figures showed a deterioration in several key labour-market indicators, with the number of unemployed people increasing while employment and labour-force participation declined.

Number of Unemployed Reaches 2.86 Million

According to TurkStat’s Household Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed people aged 15 and over increased by 150,000 in July compared with June, reaching 2.86 million.

The unemployment rate stood at 6.8% for men and 10.6% for women, highlighting a continued gap between male and female unemployment.

Employment Falls by 388,000

The number of employed people declined by 388,000 month-on-month to 32.362 million in July.

The seasonally adjusted employment rate consequently fell by 0.6 percentage points to 48.3%. The employment rate was 65.5% among men, compared with just 31.4% among women.

The decline in employment contributed significantly to the overall deterioration in the labour market during the month.

Labour-Force Participation Also Declines

Türkiye’s seasonally adjusted labour force participation rate fell by 0.4 percentage points to 52.5% in July.

The total labour force decreased by 238,000 people from the previous month to 35.222 million.

The participation rate stood at 70.3% for men and 35.2% for women, underscoring the substantial difference in labour-market participation between the two groups.

Youth Unemployment Climbs to 14.5%

Young people continued to face significantly higher unemployment than the overall working-age population.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate among people aged 15-24 rose by 1.5 percentage points to 14.5% in July.

Youth unemployment stood at 11.3% for young men and 20.3% for young women.

Average Working Hours Decline

TurkStat also reported a modest decline in actual working hours.

Seasonally and calendar-adjusted average weekly actual working hours among people who were employed during the reference period fell by 0.4 hours from June to 42.0 hours in July.

Labour Underutilization Rises to 30.6%

A broader measure of labour-market weakness also deteriorated significantly.

The composite measure of labour underutilization, which includes time-related underemployment, the potential labour force and unemployment, increased by 1.8 percentage points to 30.6% in July.

Meanwhile, the combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment reached 20.8%, while the combined rate of unemployment and the potential labour force stood at 19.5%.

Overall, the July figures point to a weakening Turkish labour market, marked by a rise in unemployment, a decline in employment and labour-force participation, and a sharp increase in the broader measure of labour underutilization. (ILKHA)