Report: Number of registered farmers in Turkey decreased by 102,000 in a year

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The number of employees with a 4/a insurance increased by 144,000 from June 2019 to June 2020 while the number of registered farmers decreased by 102,000, the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV) said in a report compiled from the Social Security Institution (SGK) and Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR) data.

The number of people who quit agriculture in a year amounts to 14.8 percent of all farmers in the country.

The number of farmers decreased in all provinces except Kilis and the highest decrease was observed in the central Anatolian province of Konya, the largest wheat production center of the country, the report noted.

The number of public employees increased by 61,000 in the given period. Ankara, the capital, saw the largest increase in the number of public employees.

The number of employed women increased by 5,000 in the same period.

The number of workplaces increased in 72 out of 81 provinces as the total number of workplaces increased by 43,000 (2.3 percent) in a year.

The TEPAV also conducted a survey among 3,033 people in 12 provinces to assess how the pandemic has affected the labor market. Here are the main findings of the survey: 

Here are the main findings of the survey:

• Covid-19 has affected female workers the most. While 32 percent of all participants stated no changes occurred to their professions and they continued working full-or part-time as in pre-pandemic conditions, this rate stood at merely 7.4 percent for women.
• Covid-19 has affected Syrian employees more than the citizens of Turkey. The rate of Syrians who have been dismissed or taken on unpaid leave because of the pandemic is 36.5 percent, while the same rate is 11.9 percent for citizens of Turkey.
• Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, 88 percent of Syrians have suffered a loss of income. The same rate was 50 percent for citizens of Turkey.
• Syrians were less likely to benefit from the Covid-19 support packages compared to the citizens of Turkey. The rate of citizens of Turkey who benefit from pandemic support is 13 percent, compared to 5.5 percent for Syrians. Syrians have mainly benefited from food parcel support. It was determined that citizens of Turkey mainly benefit from the social assistance money given by the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services at 1,000 TL per household.
• Among the survey participants, those living in the southeastern provinces (especially Hatay, Urfa and Mardin) were more affected by the pandemic than others. The rate of no changes occurring in professions is 32 percent for the entire 12 provinces, whereas in Hatay and Urfa, this rate is 3.2 percent and 10.2 percent, respectively.
• In Mardin, another 22 percent who were already unemployed were added to the 17 percent who were laid off because of the pandemic, and the unemployment problem in the city further deepened.
• The rate of layoffs (11.1 percent) in the construction sector, where mainly Syrians work, is higher than in other sectors that were surveyed. (HA/VK)