The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) released labour force statistics for September. According to the data, the actual unemployment rate was 28.6 per cent.
TÜİK shared the results of its ‘Labour Force Statistics, September 2025’ survey with the public.
According to the results of the Household Labour Force Survey; the number of unemployed persons aged 15 and over increased by 12,000 compared to the previous month, reaching 3 million 75,000 in September 2025.
The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 8.6 per cent. The unemployment rate was estimated at 7.4 per cent for men and 11.1 per cent for women.
The number of employed persons decreased by 200,000 compared to the previous month in September 2025, reaching 32 million 491 thousand persons, while the employment rate decreased by 0.3 points to 48.9 per cent. This rate was 66.3 per cent for men and 31.8 per cent for women.
The labour force decreased by 188,000 people compared to the previous month in September 2025, reaching 35,566,000 people, while the labour force participation rate decreased by 0.3 points to 53.5 per cent. The labour force participation rate was 71.6 per cent for men and 35.7 per cent for women.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE WAS 14.9 PERCENT
The unemployment rate among young people aged 15-24 decreased by 0.9 percentage points compared to the previous month, reaching 14.9 percent. The unemployment rate in this age group was estimated at 11.4 percent for men and 21.4 percent for women.
The seasonally and calendar-adjusted average weekly actual working hours of those employed and at work during the reference period increased by 1.0 hours compared to the previous month, reaching 42.9 hours in September 2025.
THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 28.6 PERCENT
The idle labour force rate, consisting of time-related underemployment, potential labour force and unemployed persons, decreased by 1.2 percentage points compared to the previous month, reaching 28.6 per cent in September 2025. The combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment was estimated at 18.0 per cent, while the combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force was estimated at 20.5 per cent.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled İşsizlik verileri açıklandı: Gerçek işsizlik yüzde 28,6 oldu, published in BirGün newspaper on October 27, 2025.
