Number of Unemployed Rises by 150 Thousand
The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) announced the results of the Household Labor Force Survey for the July 2026 period. According to the data, the number of unemployed people aged 15 and over rose by 150 thousand in July 2026 compared with the previous month, reaching 2 million 860 thousand. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate also increased by 0.5 percentage points to 8.1%. The unemployment rate was calculated at 6.8% for men and 10.6% for women. Image: DHA
Decline in Employment and Labor Force Participation Rates
The number of employed people fell by 388 thousand in July compared with the previous month, declining to 32 million 362 thousand. With this decrease, the employment rate fell by 0.6 percentage points to 48.3%. This rate stood at 65.5% for men and 31.4% for women.
The total number of people in the labor force decreased by 238 thousand, falling to 35 million 222 thousand. The labor force participation rate was calculated at 52.5%, down by 0.4 percentage points. This rate was 70.3% for men and 35.2% for women.
Changes in Unemployment and Working Hours Among Young People
The unemployment rate among young people aged 15-24 rose by 1.5 percentage points in July 2026 compared with the previous month, reaching 14.5%. Unemployment stood at 11.3% among young men and was recorded at 20.3% among young women. The seasonally and calendar-adjusted average weekly actual working time also decreased by 0.4 hours among employed people, measured at 42 hours.
Significant Increase in the Underutilized Labor Force Rate
The broad underutilized labor force rate, consisting of time-related underemployment, the potential labor force and the unemployed, rose by 1.8 percentage points in July 2026 compared with the previous month, reaching 30.6%. According to the sub-indicators, the combined rate of time-related underemployment and the unemployed was recorded at 20.8%, while the combined rate of the unemployed and the potential labor force stood at 19.5%. Meanwhile, this outlook in the real sector was also reflected in economic expectations; according to TÜİK data, confidence indices declined in August, with decreases in key sectors such as services and construction standing out.