The real unemployment rate stood at 29 per cent in the fourth quarter

The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) announced labour force statistics for the October-December 2025 period. According to the data, the unemployment rate in Turkey fell by 0.2 percentage points to 8.2 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year.

The underemployment rate, which consists of time-related underemployment, potential labour force and unemployed persons (actual unemployment), decreased by 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, reaching 29.0 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025.

According to the results of the Household Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons aged 15 and over decreased by 58,000 compared to the previous quarter, reaching 2,913,000 in the fourth quarter of 2025. The unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 8.2 per cent. The unemployment rate was estimated at 6.7 per cent for men and 11.1 per cent for women.

The number of employed persons increased by 136,000 compared to the previous quarter in the fourth quarter of 2025, reaching 32,686,000, while the employment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 49.1 per cent. This rate was 66.7 per cent for men and 31.9 per cent for women.

The labour force increased by 78,000 people compared to the previous quarter in the fourth quarter of 2025, reaching 35,599,000 people, while the labour force participation rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 53.5 per cent. The labour force participation rate was 71.5 per cent for men and 35.9 per cent for women.

YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT

The unemployment rate among young people aged 15-24 decreased by 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, reaching 14.9 per cent. The unemployment rate in this age group was estimated at 11.8 per cent for men and 20.7 per cent for women.

The seasonally adjusted number of employed persons in the fourth quarter of 2025 decreased by 33,000 in the agriculture sector compared to the previous quarter, while it increased by 83,000 in the industry sector, 3,000 in the construction sector, and 83,000 in the services sector. Of those employed, 13.8% were in agriculture, 20.0% in industry, 6.9% in construction, and 59.3% in the service sector.

The seasonally and calendar-adjusted average weekly actual working hours of those employed and at work during the reference period remained unchanged from the previous quarter at 42.6 hours in the fourth quarter of 2025.

UNDERUTILISED LABOUR FORCE RATE AT 29.0 PERCENT

The underutilised labour force rate, comprising time-related underemployment, potential labour force and unemployed persons, decreased by 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, reaching 29.0 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment was estimated at 18.9 per cent, while the combined rate of potential labour force and unemployment was estimated at 19.7 per cent.

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Gerçek işsizlik dördüncü çeyrekte yüzde 29 oldu, published in BirGün newspaper on February 18, 2026.