Turkey unemployment rate rises to 8.4% in September

TÜİK unemployment rate labor force employment statistics youth unemployment

According to data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), the unemployment rate in Turkey rose by 0.5 percentage points to 8.4% in September 2026. The number of unemployed persons aged 15 and older increased by 198,000 compared to the previous month, reaching a total of 2,967,000.

Employment saw a slight decline, with the number of employed individuals decreasing by 49,000 to 32,445,000, resulting in an employment rate of 48.3%. In contrast, the total labor force grew by 149,000 to 35,412,000, bringing the labor force participation rate to 52.7%.

Youth unemployment (ages 15-24) also saw a significant increase of 1.6 percentage points, reaching 14.8%. Within this demographic, the unemployment rate for women was recorded at 23.3%, more than double the 10.4% rate for young men. The overall idle labor force rate, which includes underemployment and potential labor, rose by 0.2 points to 31.2%.

Entities

Financial Institutions Union · Grand National Assembly of Turkey · Minimum Wage Determination Commission · Recep Tayyip Erdoğan · TBMM · Turkey · Turkish Statistical Institute · TÜİK · Vedat Işıkhan

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] The proposed legislative change aims to make the flat-rate bonus permanent by including it in the pension base. www.eskisehir.net · www.haber16.com · finans.mynet.com
[● 3 SOURCES] A legislative proposal was submitted to the TBMM on October 20, 2026, to provide a 25,153.05 TL flat-rate bonus to civil servant retirees. www.eskisehir.net · www.haber16.com · finans.mynet.com
[● 4 SOURCES] The 2027 budget allocates 1.46 trillion TL for minimum wage tax exemptions. www.vanhabergazetesi.com · www.sesgazetesi.com.tr · www.habername.com
[● 4 SOURCES] The 2026 year-end inflation forecast in the Medium-Term Program is 28.4%. www.vanhabergazetesi.com · www.tv5.com.tr
[● 3 SOURCES] The Financial Institutions Union (FKB) estimates a 10.45% increase for SSK and Bağ-Kur retirees in January 2027. www.egemengazetesi.com · www.tv5.com.tr
[● 7 SOURCES] The 2025-2026 Public Collective Bargaining Protocol raised monthly gross base wages to 42,000 TL. www.borsagundem.com.tr · haberton.com · www.avrupagazete.co.uk · sanayigazetesi.com.tr · www.turkgun.com · +2 more
[● 5 SOURCES] President Erdoğan stated that the 2027 budget will include measures to improve the situation of retirees. www.gazeteabc.com · www.guncelegitim.com · www.habername.com · www.manisahaberleri.com
[● 5 SOURCES] The current net minimum wage is 28,075.50 TL. www.bursahakimiyet.com.tr · www.sesgazetesi.com.tr · www.vanhabergazetesi.com
[● 8 SOURCES] The unemployment rate in Turkey rose to 8.4% in September 2026. www.bizimsivas.com.tr · cukurovagazetesi.com · www.donanimhaber.net.tr · gaziantepsabah.com · www.konyayenigun.com · +3 more
[● 7 SOURCES] The number of unemployed people increased by 198,000 in September 2026. www.bizimsivas.com.tr · cukurovagazetesi.com · www.donanimhaber.net.tr · gaziantepsabah.com · www.konyayenigun.com · +2 more
[● 8 SOURCES] Youth unemployment (ages 15-24) reached 14.8% in September 2026. www.bizimsivas.com.tr · cukurovagazetesi.com · www.donanimhaber.net.tr · gaziantepsabah.com · www.konyayenigun.com · +3 more
[● 8 SOURCES] The number of employed persons decreased by 49,000 to 32,445,000 in September 2026. www.bizimsivas.com.tr · cukurovagazetesi.com · www.donanimhaber.net.tr · gaziantepsabah.com · www.konyayenigun.com · +3 more