Study: Almost all employed Syrians in Turkey work informally

Photo: AA/File

Nearly half of Syrians under temporary protection status in Turkey work informally, according to a recent study by the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV).

The TEPAV surveyed 15,627 Syrians and 1,537 individuals in 12 provinces, as well as carrying out in-depth interviews with many individuals.

According to the survey, 48.6 percent of the respondents work informally, 2.7 percent work formally and 36.8 percent are currently unemployed and looking for work.

The most common challenges faced by Syrian refugees are low wages (41.3 percent), language barrier (34.3 percent) and insecure work (29.3 percent), the survey found.

About 68 percent of those who are employed stated that their current jobs are compatible with their past job experiences or education. Nearly 60 percent of Syrian refugees are craft and trade workers and the education level of 65.6 percent is lower than high school, according to the study.

It was found that only 13.3 percent of the surveyed employers had current or previous experience in employing Syrians. "Considering that more than 70 percent of all surveyed employers hire through referrals from acquaintances, Syrians' employment prospects in these businesses are thought to be very limited," says the report.

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"Furthermore, half of the employers with vacant positions asserted that they do not consider employing Syrians for these positions for reasons such as potential difficulties in adapting to the workplace and cultural differences."

Despite the problems they face, 79 percent of the Syrians want to continue to stay in Turkey, shows the survey.

Turkey currently hosts about 3.6 million registered Syrians, according to the Ministry of Interior figures.

Infographic: TEPAV

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