Labor underutilization remains near 30% in second quarter

Turkey’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 7.9% in the second quarter of 2026, down 0.3 percentage points from the previous quarter, according to Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) data.

The seasonally and calendar-adjusted labor underutilization rate, which includes time-related underemployment, the potential labor force and unemployed people, fell by 0.2 percentage points to 29%.

Labor force

Employment increased by 155,000 from the previous quarter to 32.479 million people, while the seasonally adjusted employment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 48%. The rate stood at 65.8%for men and 31.6% for women.

The labor force expanded by 71,000 to 35.278 million people, while the labor force participation rate declined by 0.1 percentage points to 52.7%. Participation was 70.6% among men and 35.3% among women.

Gender breakdown

The unemployment rate was estimated at 6.7% for men and 10.3% for women.

Youth unemployment

Among people aged 15 to 24, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell by 1 percentage point to 13.9%. Youth unemployment was estimated at 11% for men and 19.3% for women.

Sectors

Employment increased by 240,000 in services, 25,000 in construction and 10,000 in agriculture compared with the previous quarter. Industrial employment fell by 121,000.

Services accounted for 59.8%of total employment, followed by industry at 19.7%, agriculture at 13.7% and construction at 6.8%

Working time

The seasonally and calendar-adjusted average actual weekly working time for people who were at work during the reference period rose by 0.1 hours to 42.3 hours.

The combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment stood at 19%, while the combined rate of the potential labor force and unemployment was estimated at 2%. (VK)