Unemployment Increases by Almost a Million in a Year: 4,469,000 People Unemployed

* Graph: AA / Unemployment by months & years

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The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) announced the labor force statistics for 2019 today (March 20). Accordingly, the number of unemployed people aged 15 years and older was 4 million 469 in 2019, marking an increase of 932 thousand since 2018.

While unemployment rate has risen by 2.7 points, non-agriculture unemployment has been announced as 16 percent, with 3.1 point increase.

The number of employed people aged 15 years old and over has been realized as 28 million 80 thousand, with 658 thousand decrease. As for the employment rate in 2019, it occurred as 45.7 percent, marking a 1.7 percentage point decrease.

Labor force participation increased

According to TurkStat, there were 32 million 549 people in the labor force last year, with an increase of 275 thousand. Accordingly, the labor force participation realized as 53 percent last year, with 0.2 point decrease.

* Main labour force indicators, 2018 & 2019

Unemployment in 15-64 age group: 14 percent

Unemployment rate for the 15-64 age group realized as 14 percent, with 2.8 percentage point increase and non-agricultural unemployment rate was estimated as 16.1 percent with 3.1 percentage point increase.

Employment rate in this age group occurred as 50.3 percent with 1.7 percentage point decrease and labour force participation rate realized as 58.5 percent without any change.

* Main labour force indicators, 15-64 age group, 2018 & 2019

Youth unemployment on the increase

Unemployment rate for the 15-24 age group realized as 25.4 percent, with 5.1 percentage point increase and employment rate in this age group occurred as 33.1 percent, with 1.9 percentage point decrease.

Labour force participation rate realized as 44.4 percent, with 0.4 percentage point increase. The rate of neither in employment nor in education realized as 26 percent, with 1.5 percentage point increase.

Over half of total employment in services

In 2019, 56.5 percent of total employment was in services. While 18.2 percent of total employment was in agriculture, 19.8 percent was employed in industry, 5.5 percent employed in construction and 56.5 percent was employed in services.

While the share of employed in services marked a 1.6 percentage point increase and the share of industry a 0.1 percentage point increase, the share of agriculture marked a 0.2 percentage point decrease and construction a 1.4 percentage point decrease compared with the same period of 2018.

In 2019, 5 million 97 thousand people were employed in agriculture, 5 million 561 thousand people were employed in industry, 1 million 550 thousand people were employed in construction and 15 million 872 thousand people were employed in services.

Compared with the same period of the previous year, the number of employed in agriculture decreased by 200 thousand, that of industry decreased by 113 thousand and construction decreased by 442 thousand persons while services increased by 98 thousand people.

Highest unemployment in Mardin, Batman, Şırnak, Siirt

Mardin, Batman, Şırnak and Siirt (TRC3) region had the highest unemployment rate with 30.9 percent and Kastamonu, Çankırı and Sinop (TR82) region had the lowest unemployment rate with 7.6 percent.

Tekirdağ, Edirne and Kırklareli (T21) region had the highest employment rate with 53 percent. Mardin, Batman, Şırnak and Siirt (TRC3) region had the lowest employment rate with 30 percent.

Tekirdağ, Edirne and Kırklareli (T21) region had the highest labour force participation rate with 59.6 percent while TRC3 (Mardin, Batman, Şırnak, Siirt) region had the lowest labour force participation rate with 43.5 percent. (HA/SD)

* Source: TurkStat