Azernews.Az

By News Centre

Türkiye's unemployment rate fell to a historic low of 7.6% in June, according to data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). The latest figures showed a decline in unemployment, an increase in employment and continued expansion of the labor force, reinforcing the positive momentum in Türkiye's labor market.

TurkStat reported that the number of unemployed people aged 15 and over fell by 168,000 compared with the previous month, bringing the total to 2.69 million. During the same period, employment increased by 227,000 to 32.73 million, while the employment rate rose by 0.3 percentage points to 48.9%.

The unemployment rate stood at 6.5% for men and 9.8% for women. Meanwhile, the employment rate reached 66.1% among men and 32% among women, reflecting continued differences in labor market participation.

The labor force expanded by 58,000 people in June to 35.42 million, pushing the labor force participation rate up to 52.9%. Participation reached 70.7% for men and 35.4% for women.

Youth unemployment, covering the 15-24 age group, also recorded a notable improvement, falling by 1.8 percentage points to 12.8%. The rate was estimated at 10.4% for young men and 17.3% for young women. In addition, the broader labor underutilization rate, which includes unemployment, underemployment and the potential labor force, declined by two percentage points to 28.8%.

Commenting on the latest figures, Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said Türkiye has maintained a stable labor market, with the unemployment rate remaining in single digits for the 38th consecutive month. He noted that the government continues to support businesses through financing programs, including increasing the Investment Commitment Advance Loans program to 750 billion Turkish liras ($18.5 billion) and introducing a new $5.3 billion financing package for the manufacturing sector.

Yilmaz added that the combined value of favorable financing for investment and working capital has reached $21.1 billion. He also said labor-intensive industries continue to receive monthly employment support of $75 per worker, provided jobs are preserved, while workforce development programs targeting young people, women and groups with lower labor force participation are being further expanded.