Turkey faces skilled labor shortage despite high salary offers

Turkey is facing a significant shortage of skilled workers and apprentices across various sectors, including tourism and industry. In Artvin’s Şavşat Karagöl region, tourism facility operator Atıf Çiçek reported being unable to find a chef despite offering a monthly salary of 100,000 TL. Çiçek noted that the issue is not a lack of unemployment, but rather a preference for different types of work.

Similarly, in the industrial and craft sectors, employers are struggling to find apprentices. Due to the high cost of hiring experienced masters, which can exceed 100,000 TL, business owners are increasingly looking to train young people from scratch. Despite offering apprenticeships with salaries between 30,000 and 35,000 TL, including benefits like transportation and meals, many employers report difficulty attracting candidates. This trend is attributed to young people increasingly preferring office-based roles over manual labor.