Türkiye’s September Unemployment Rises to 8.4%, with Young Women at 23.3%

ANKARA — Türkiye’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose by 0.5 percentage points to 8.4% in September 2026, according to Turkish Statistical Institute figures released on 27 October. The number of unemployed people increased by 198,000 to 2.967 million.

Employment fell by 49,000 to 32.445 million, while the labour-force participation rate edged up to 52.7%. Unemployment among people aged 15–24 reached 14.8%, including 23.3% for young women and 10.4% for young men.

The broader labour-underutilisation measure, which also includes time-related underemployment and the potential labour force, increased to 31.2%. It measures a different population from the headline unemployment rate.

Youth unemployment percentages refer to young people in the labour force, rather than all young people. Earlier monthly estimates can be revised through seasonal adjustment, and one month’s movement does not establish the reasons for the change.

Read the original Turkish report · Official source.

Photo: Hitesh Choudhary / Unsplash. Illustrative photograph.