Turkish Employment Crisis: 516,000 Jobs Lost in a Single Month

The Turkish labor market faced a brutal start to 2026, according to the latest Household Labor Force Survey released by TÜİK on February 27, 2026. The data reveals a cooling economy struggling with a massive exodus from the workforce and a rising “idle labor” rate that has hit a critical threshold.

The Red Flags: Shrinking Jobs, Rising Idle Labor

While the official unemployment rate rose modestly to 8.1%, the underlying numbers tell a much more alarming story. In just 30 days, Turkey shed 516,000 jobs, pushing the national employment rate down to 47.9%.

The “Idle Labor Force” (broadly defined unemployment) surged to 29.9%. This means nearly one in three potential workers is either unemployed, underemployed, or has given up looking for work entirely.

The Breakdown: Who is Being Hit Hardest?

The January data highlights deepening structural divides across the Turkish workforce:

• Gender Gap: Female unemployment remains double that of men (11.0% vs. 6.6%). Only 31 out of 100 women are currently active in the workforce.

• Youth in Crisis: 1 in 5 young women (19.0%) are currently unemployed. The overall youth jobless rate stands at 14.3%.

• Working Hours: Even for those with jobs, activity is slowing. The average workweek dropped to 42.4 hours, signaling a reduction in industrial and service sector output.

January 2026 Labor Scorecard

The massive drop in participation suggests that discouraged workers are exiting the market in record numbers, posing a significant challenge for economic policy through the rest of 2026.