Here are Türkiye’s top professions in demand amid economic shifts

As Türkiye’s job market evolves, recent data highlights the professions that are both the easiest to find and the most sought-after by employers.

From security guards to warehouse workers, these roles reflect the country’s changing socio-economic landscape, influenced by factors like population growth and the post-pandemic recovery in tourism.

What are most popular jobs in Türkiye?

According to employment platform Eleman.net, the most applied for jobs in Türkiye during the first seven months of 2024 were:

• Security guards: 5.45% of total applications.
• Warehouse workers: 5.14%.
• Other notable positions include accounting assistants (3.03%), cleaners (2.86%), drivers (2.79%), production workers (2.53%), sales consultants (2.28%), customer representatives (2.26%) and accounting clerks (2.18%).

Which jobs are in high demand by employers?

Data from Marketing Türkiye reveals that employers were most frequently searching for:

• Security guards: 7.01% of job postings.
• Cleaners: 4.76%.
• Warehouse workers: 4.10%.
• Other positions in high demand included sales consultants (2.31%), waitstaff (2.16%), cashiers (1.99%), couriers (1.68%) and accounting assistants (1.53%).

Which sectors have highest employment rate in Türkiye?

• Food sector dominates hiring: The food sector emerged as the top hiring industry in 2024, followed by retail, logistics, security and service sectors. By mid-2024, Eleman.net reported 309,000 new hires across Türkiye, with the food sector leading the charge.
• Manufacturing sector’s growing need: The manufacturing industry posted the most job openings, with 1.57 million positions nationwide in the first half of 2024, as reported by the Turkish Employment Agency (ISKUR). The sector’s demand included tourism and hotel personnel, unarmed security guards and waitstaff.

Which cities are employment hubs in Türkiye?

• Istanbul leads in job listings: Istanbul topped the list of cities with the most job postings, recording 93,638 openings. Following were Kocaeli (27,261), Ankara (21,101), Izmir (20,342), Bursa (9,373) and Antalya (6,051).
• Least job listing: Meanwhile, Bayburt had the fewest job postings, alongside cities like Sirnak, Kilis, Igdir, Mus, Ardahan, Bingol, Gumushane, Hakkari and Siirt.
• Employment growth in Istanbul: Istanbul saw the highest employment growth with 204,306 new jobs. Other cities with substantial employment increases included Ankara (61,807), Izmir (42,750) and Kocaeli (31,882).

Which factors determine popular jobs in Türkiye?

Levent Dicle, CEO of Eleman.net, emphasized the impact of Türkiye socio-economic conditions on job market trends, saying: “The rise in demand for security guards and tourism personnel mirrors Türkiye’s socio-economic conditions.”

• Socio-Economic factors: The increasing population density in major cities is driving demand for security personnel in public spaces like malls, airports and events.
• Tourism: The post-pandemic recovery in the tourism sector has spurred job growth in hospitality roles across hotels, restaurants, tour guides and entertainment sectors. As Türkiye continues to bolster its competitive edge in tourism, employment growth in this sector is expected to persist.