Unemployment Rate in Turkey Climbs to 8.5pct in February 2026

The latest Labor Force Statistics for February 2026, released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), indicate a cooling trend in the national job market. According to the Household Labor Force Survey, the number of unemployed individuals aged 15 and over rose by 133,000 from the previous month, reaching 2.98 million. Consequently, the unemployment rate in Turkey increased by 0.3 percentage points, settling at 8.5%.

Youth and Women Bear the Brunt of the Rise in the Unemployment Rate in Turkey

A deeper dive into the demographics reveals a stark disparity in how different groups are experiencing the current economic climate. While the rate for men stands at a relatively stable 6.9%, the unemployment rate in Turkey for women is significantly higher at 11.6%.

The situation is even more critical for the younger generation. In the 15-24 age bracket, the youth unemployment rate surged by 1.4 percentage points in a single month, hitting 15.8%. For young women specifically, this figure has reached a staggering 21.8%, signaling a major structural barrier to entry for female graduates and early-career seekers.

Labor Force Participation and the Idle Labor Force Challenge

Despite the rise in joblessness, the labor force participation rate climbed slightly to 52.6%. This suggests that more citizens are actively entering the market to seek work, likely driven by the rising cost of living, even if the economy isn’t producing enough vacancies to absorb them.

Furthermore, the “idle labor force” rate—a broader measure that includes the underemployed and those who have given up looking but are available to work—rose to 29.9%. This indicates that nearly one-third of Turkey’s potential workforce is not being utilized to its full capacity. Meanwhile, the average weekly working time remained steady at 42.5 hours, reflecting a high-intensity environment for those who do hold formal positions.