Türkiye’s unemployment rate hits 11-year low
Cengiz Cakmak, with the support of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development and Support Administration (KOSGEB), has established a textile factory in Diyarbakır Organized Industrial Zone, increasing his workforce from 15 to 350 employees on 27 May 2024 (AA Photo)
Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Isikhan announced that Türkiye’s economy continues to generate jobs, with the unemployment rate dropping to its lowest level in 11 years.
The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) released labor force statistics for April, showing a 0.1 percentage point decrease in the unemployment rate from the previous month, bringing it down to 8.5%.
Lowest level in 11 years
“Our economy continues to produce employment. The unemployment rate is at its lowest level in 11 years,” Isikhan stated.
He highlighted that the unemployment rate has remained in single digits for the past 12 months, decreasing by 0.1 percentage point from the previous month to 8.5%. The number of unemployed individuals dropped by 18,000 from the previous month and by 484,000 compared to the same month last year.
Continuing steps to prioritize employment
Minister Isikhan states that the positive results of their job-supporting policies are increasingly evident. He notes that in April 2024, the number of employed people rose by 983,000 compared to the same month last year, reaching 32.618 million. The employment rate increased by 1.1 percentage points to 49.5%.
Isikhan highlights that youth and women are taking a larger share in the historically high employment rates, with the employment rate for women increasing by 1.2 percentage points compared to the same month last year, and the unemployment rate decreasing by 2.9 percentage points in the same period.
He further announced that, in line with the Medium-Term Program (OVP) and the 12th Development Plan, the government will continue to take steps that prioritize jobs, ensuring economic stability and the lasting welfare of citizens.
