Turkey’s Unemployment Rate Rises to 8.6% as Gender Gap and Youth Joblessness Persist

Turkey’s labor market showed mixed signals in November 2025, with unemployment continuing its upward trend while employment posted only modest gains. According to the latest “Labour Force Statistics – November 2025” bulletin released on 30 December by Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT), the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 8.6%, marking a third consecutive monthly increase.

The data, based on the Household Labour Force Survey, highlights persistent structural challenges—particularly in female and youth employment—despite a limited expansion in overall job numbers.

Unemployment Continues to Climb

In November, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 and over increased by 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous month. This rise pushed the total number of unemployed people up by 54,000, bringing the figure to 3.098 million nationwide.

While the unemployment rate among men remained unchanged at 7.0%, the situation deteriorated noticeably for women. Female unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points, reaching 11.8%, underlining the ongoing gender imbalance in Turkey’s labor market.

Economists note that this divergence reflects deeper structural issues, including lower labor force participation among women, limited access to stable employment, and sectoral vulnerabilities that disproportionately affect female workers.

Employment Growth Remains Limited

Employment figures showed only a modest improvement. The number of employed people increased by 75,000 in November, bringing total employment to 32.737 million. As a result, the seasonally adjusted employment rate edged up to 49.2%.

A closer look at gender-based data reveals stark differences. The employment rate for men stood at 66.8%, while women’s employment remained significantly lower at 31.9%. Notably, female employment declined by 0.4 percentage points compared to the previous month, whereas male employment increased by 0.5 percentage points.

This contrast suggests that recent job creation has largely favored male-dominated sectors, leaving women more exposed to labor market volatility.

Labor Force Participation at 53.8%

Turkey’s labor force expanded by 128,000 people in November, reaching a total of 35.834 million. The overall labor force participation rate was calculated at 53.8%.

Participation among men rose by 0.5 percentage points to 71.8%, while women’s participation fell by 0.2 percentage points to 36.2%. The decline in female participation contributed to a striking figure: 21.477 million women of working age were classified as not participating in the labor force.

This gap continues to be one of the defining characteristics of Turkey’s employment landscape, with long-term implications for economic growth and income distribution.

Youth Unemployment Remains Elevated

Youth unemployment remained stubbornly high. Among individuals aged 15–24, the unemployment rate held steady at 15.4% in November.

However, the gender breakdown again revealed sharp contrasts. Male youth unemployment declined by 1.7 percentage points to 10.6%, while female youth unemployment surged by 3.3 percentage points, reaching 24.4%. This means nearly one in four young women in the labor force was unemployed during the period.

Analysts warn that persistently high youth unemployment—especially among women—poses risks to long-term labor market integration, skills development, and social cohesion.

Working Hours Reach Three-Month High

Despite employment challenges, those who are working are spending slightly more time on the job. The seasonally and calendar-adjusted average weekly actual working time increased by 0.1 hours to 42.3 hours in November. This figure represents the highest level recorded over the past three months, suggesting stable or rising labor demand in certain sectors.

Idle Labor Force Rate Declines Slightly

One positive signal in the report was a decline in the broad measure of underutilized labor. The seasonally adjusted idle labor force rate fell by 0.6 percentage points to 29.1% in November.

This indicator includes the unemployed, time-related underemployment, and potential labor force. Within this category, the combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment stood at 18.7%, while the combined rate of unemployment and potential labor force reached 20.2%.

Although still elevated, the decline suggests a slight easing in labor market slack, even as headline unemployment continued to rise.

A Labor Market Under Strain

Overall, TURKSTAT’s November 2025 data paints a picture of a labor market struggling to generate inclusive and sustainable employment growth. While total employment and labor force participation showed limited gains, rising unemployment and widening gender disparities point to unresolved structural challenges.