25.03.2026 10:53
In Turkey, the unemployment rate decreased by 0.4 points compared to the previous year in 2025, reaching 8.3%, the lowest level in the last 21 years.
The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) announced the Labor Statistics for the year 2025. According to the results of the Household Labor Force Survey, the number of unemployed individuals aged 15 and over decreased by 147,000 compared to the previous year, reaching 2 million 966 thousand in 2025. The unemployment rate decreased by 0.4 points, standing at 8.3 percent. The unemployment rate was estimated to be 6.8 percent for men and 11.3 percent for women.
EMPLOYMENT RATE REACHED 49.0 PERCENT
The number of employed individuals decreased by 54,000 compared to the previous year, reaching 32 million 566 thousand in 2025, while the employment rate decreased by 0.5 points to 49.0 percent. This rate was 66.4 percent for men and 32.1 percent for women.
LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATE WAS 53.5 PERCENT
The labor force decreased by 200,000 compared to the previous year, reaching 35 million 533 thousand in 2025, while the labor force participation rate decreased by 0.7 points to 53.5 percent. The labor force participation rate was 71.3 percent for men and 36.2 percent for women.
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 15.3 PERCENT
The unemployment rate among the youth population aged 15-24 decreased by 1 point compared to the previous year, reaching 15.3 percent in 2025. The unemployment rate in this age group was estimated to be 11.7 percent for men and 22.1 percent for women.
59.0 PERCENT OF EMPLOYMENT WAS IN THE SERVICE SECTOR
14.0 percent of the employed were in agriculture, 20.2 percent in industry, 6.8 percent in construction, and 59.0 percent in the service sector. Compared to the previous year, the share of the service sector increased by 1.1 points, the share of the construction sector increased by 0.2 points, while the share of the agriculture sector decreased by 0.8 points and the share of the industry sector decreased by 0.5 points.
In 2025, 4 million 560 thousand people were employed in the agriculture sector, 6 million 578 thousand in the industry sector, 2 million 224 thousand in the construction sector, and 19 million 204 thousand in the service sector. Compared to the previous year, the number of employed individuals decreased by 267 thousand in the agriculture sector and 168 thousand in the industry sector, while it increased by 62 thousand in the construction sector and 318 thousand in the service sector.
UNDERUTILIZED LABOR FORCE RATE WAS 29.7 PERCENT
The rate of underutilized labor force, consisting of time-related underemployment, potential labor force, and unemployed individuals, increased by 3 points compared to the previous year, reaching 29.7 percent in 2025. The integrated rate of time-related underemployment and unemployed individuals was 19.6 percent, while the integrated rate of unemployed and potential labor force was 19.9 percent.
ARDHAN HAD THE LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
The province with the lowest unemployment rate was Ardahan at 4.0 percent, while the province with the highest unemployment rate was Hakkari at 13.8 percent.
ARTVIN HAD THE HIGHEST EMPLOYMENT RATE
The highest employment rate was recorded in Artvin at 58.1 percent. The lowest employment rate was in Hakkari at 32.9 percent.
ARTVIN HAD THE HIGHEST LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATE
The highest labor force participation rate was recorded in Artvin at 61.3 percent. The lowest labor force participation rate was in Hakkari at 38.1 percent.