Turkey’s jobless rate falls to 8.1%, but “idle labor” jumps to 31.5%

Turkey’s official unemployment rate dropped to 8.1% in March, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK). However, a broader measure of labor underutilization, called “idle labor,” rose sharply to 31.5%. This figure includes people who have stopped looking for work or work fewer hours than they would like. The data also reveals a deep gender gap in employment. In March, 66% of men were employed, while only 31.5% of women held jobs—less than half the male rate. Economists say the rising idle labor rate suggests the official jobless figure does not fully capture the weakness in Turkey’s labor market.