Türkiye’s Unemployment Rate Declines to 8.5% in December

Türkiye’s unemployment rate edged down by 0.1 percentage points to 8.5% in December, marking its lowest level since February 2012, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). The jobless rate dropped from 8.6% in November and was lower than the 8.8% recorded a year earlier. The number of unemployed individuals aged 15 and over fell by 39,000 to 3.03 million.

Key Labor Market Indicators

• Unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted): 8.5%
• Unemployment rate (men): Stable at 6.9%
• Unemployment rate (women): Dropped to 11.4% from 11.7%
• Employment fell by 54,000 to 32.72 million
• Employment rate: 49.5% (down from 49.6% in November)
  • Men: 66.9%
  • Women: 32.4%
• Labor force participation rate: 54.1% (down from 54.2%)
• Youth unemployment (ages 15-24): 16.3% (up 0.5 percentage points)

Labor Market Trends

While the overall unemployment rate declined, youth unemployment rose slightly, highlighting ongoing challenges in integrating young workers into the labor force. Despite the employment rate decreasing, the overall decline in unemployment suggests a more stable labor market.