Turkey unemployment rate falls to 7.8% in August

Turkey's unemployment rate fell to 7.8% in August 2026, a 0.3 percentage point decrease from the previous month. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), the number of unemployed individuals decreased by 106,000 to 2.74 million. Employment rose by 136,000 people, reaching a total of 32.5 million, with an employment rate of 48.4%.

Youth unemployment (ages 15-24) also saw a decline, dropping 1.1 percentage points to 13.0%. However, the underutilization rate—which includes underemployed and potential labor—increased by 0.4 points to 31.0%.

Labor Minister Vedat Işıkhan announced that the government aims to create 2.1 million additional jobs between 2027 and 2029, with a target to reduce the unemployment rate to 7.6% by 2029.

Other economic indicators show mixed results: the economic confidence index rose to 101.3 in September, signaling optimism, while the Composite Seasonal Adjusted Industrial Production Index (SAMEKS) showed moderate acceleration at 51.3, though the industrial sector experienced a contraction.