Turkey unemployment rate rises to 8.1% in July 2026

Data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) for July 2026 indicates a rise in unemployment and a decline in employment levels. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by 0.5 percentage points to 8.1%, with the number of unemployed individuals reaching 2,860,000.

The inactive labor force rate also saw an increase of 1.8 percentage points, rising to 30.6%. This metric accounts for unemployed individuals as well as potential labor force participants and underemployed persons.

Employment figures showed a contraction, with the number of employed persons decreasing by 388,000 to a total of 32,362,000. Consequently, the employment rate fell by 0.6 percentage points to 48.3%. The total labor force decreased by 238,000 to 35,222,000, while the labor force participation rate dropped to 52.5%.