Unemployment Figures in April: 2.868 Million Narrowly Defined, 12.2 Million Broadly Defined

Unemployment remains a persistent challenge in Turkey, as highlighted by the "Labor Force Statistics, April 2026" report released by TÜİK. In April 2026, the number of officially unemployed individuals, using the narrow definition, decreased slightly by 5,000 from the previous month to reach 2.868 million. However, the unemployment rate edged up by 0.1 percentage points to 8.2%. While the male unemployment rate remained stable at 6.8%, the female unemployment rate saw an increase from 10.7% to 11%.

The broader measure of unemployment, which includes those in time-related underemployment, potential labor force, and unemployed individuals, saw a significant decrease. This "broadly defined" unemployment rate fell by 1.2 percentage points to 30.1% compared to the previous month. The number of broadly unemployed individuals was calculated by the DİSK Research Center to be 12.188 million, a decrease from 12.773 million in the prior month. Of this total, 6.158 million were women and 6.030 million were men.

Adding to the concerns, overall employment figures also contracted. The number of employed individuals decreased by 356,000 from the previous month to 32.166 million, with the employment rate falling by 0.6 percentage points to 48.1%. This decline was observed in both men and women. Consequently, the labor force also shrank by 361,000 to 35.034 million, and the labor force participation rate dropped by 0.6 percentage points to 52.4%. The average weekly actual working hours for employed individuals, however, increased slightly to 42.1 hours.