Deniz Kılınç / Istanbul, June 10 (HNA) – The broadly defined number of unemployed people is 8 million 107 thousand and the broadly defined unemployment rate is 21.7 percent, according to the Research Center of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK-AR).
The DİSK-AR report, published following Turkish Statistical Institute’s (TurkStat) labor force data announcement, states that seasonally adjusted narrowly defined unemployment rate and the seasonally adjusted broadly defined unemployment rate stood at 11.3 percent and 21.7 percent, respectively:
“The seasonally adjusted number of unemployed people aged 15 and older in Turkey increased by 65 thousand people to 3 million 853 thousand in April 2022, compared to the previous month.
“The DİSK-AR calculation relying on TurkStat data reveals that the seasonally adjusted broadly defined number of unemployed people stands at 8 million 107 thousand people.
“The number of broadly defined unemployed people increased by 1 million 595 thousand compared to the pre-pandemic period. The unemployment rate, which was13.8 percent in April 2019, decreased to 11.3 percent in April 2022, according to TurkStat. However, the broadly defined unemployment rate increased to 21.7 percent from 19.1 percent during the same period.
“Between April 2021 and April 2022, the number of registered unemployed people increased by 647 thousand to 3 million 584 thousand, up from 2 million 910 thousand, according to the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR). Meanwhile, TurkStat data reveals that the narrowly defined number of unemployed people decreased by 614 thousand during the same period. Hence, there seems to be a difference of 1 million 288 thousand people between registered and survey-based number of unemployed people.
“While İŞKUR’s registered number of unemployed people increased by 23 percent during the last year, TurkStat’s decreased by 14 percent. Such a difference between two different data contradicts the natural course of life. TurkStat’s annual unemployment data does not include the trends seen in İŞKUR report. TurkStat’s annual unemployment data is not comparable due to the ban on unemployment during the pandemic.
“Meanwhile, the broadly defined female unemployment proceeds to hold the highest unemployment rate among all unemployment categories.”
Here is the recap from the DİSK-AR report:
- There’s a 1 million 288 difference between the TurkStat and İŞKUR data!
- The number of broadly defined unemployed people is 8 million 107 thousand!
- Female unemployment rate is 29.5 percent!
- The broadly defined female unemployment holds the highest rate among all categories!
- The difference between the broadly and narrowly defined unemployment is 10.4 points!
The DİSK-AR report suggest the following for the fight against unemployment:
- The weekly work shift should be lowered to 37.5 hours without a reduction in earnings and the annual 270 hours limit for overtime should be lowered to 90 hours to be in line with the ‘everyone working less for everyone to work’ principle.
- “Everyone should be provided secured and quality jobs according to International Labor Organization’s ‘decent job for humanity’ principle.
- “The 25/II article of the Labor Law should be rearranged, and arbitrary dismissals should end.
- “The conditions for benefitting the unemployment insurance payment and the amount of payment should be recuperated.
- “The out of purpose use of the Unemployment Insurance Fund, as well as the incentives towards employers should be ceased.
- “The share of public in employment increases is significant. It is of vital importance to increase public employment and to increase permanent and secure employment instead of makeshift and insecure working actions in the public sector. Public enterprises and services should be rearranged to create employment and the personnel shortage in public should be immediately met.
- The practice of using apprentices, trainees, and scholars as cheap labor under the name of on-the-job training should be ended.
- “Everyone should be entitled at least one month of paid annual leave in line with the international labor norms.
- “Unsecured labor should end, and all subcontracted workers should be added to the payroll. Public subcontracted workers should be added on the payroll as public workers.
- “The use of trade union rights and freedoms should be secured, trade union thresholds should be abolished, and necessary legal arrangements should be made so that everyone can use their union rights freely.
- “In order to increase women’s employment and reduce unemployment, sexist practices in the labor market should end, and domestic care services should be taken over women by providing the necessary qualified, widespread and free care services.”