Türkiye's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 7.9% in the second quarter of 2026, down 0.3 percentage points from the previous quarter. Employment increased by 155,000 to 32.48 million, but the composition matters for investors: services created 240,000 jobs while industry lost 121,000.
The headline improvement is real, but incomplete
The number of unemployed people fell by 84,000 to 2.80 million, while the employment rate edged up to 48.5%. Labour-force participation slipped by 0.1 percentage points to 52.7%, so the lower unemployment rate should not be read in isolation from participation.
Services carried the quarter
Employment increased by 240,000 in services, 25,000 in construction and 10,000 in agriculture. Industry employment fell by 121,000. Services now account for 59.8% of all employment, compared with 19.7% for industry, 13.7% for agriculture and 6.8% for construction.
Youth and gender gaps remain
Youth unemployment fell by one point to 13.9%. It was 11.0% for young men and 19.3% for young women. Overall unemployment was 6.7% for men and 10.3% for women, while the female employment rate was 31.6%, less than half the male rate of 65.8%.
Why the broader measure matters
TÜİK's broad labour underutilisation rate, which includes time-related underemployment and the potential labour force, was 29.9%. That is only 0.2 percentage points lower than the previous quarter and gives a more cautious picture than the narrow unemployment rate.
How businesses should use the data
The release is a nationwide survey, not a forecast for a specific city or occupation. Employers and investors should compare it with sector output, wage data, vacancies and regional conditions. The next quarterly labour-force release is scheduled for 18 November 2026.