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Fewer than four in 10 young people in Turkey participate in the labor force despite a sharp rise in university graduates, a new report from the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions’ Research Center (DİSK-AR) revealed on Wednesday.
The report, titled “Youth Labor in Turkey,” draws on data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. It found that only 39.5 percent of Turks aged 15 to 24 are part of the labor force, while 60.5 percent are not working or seeking employment.
Among university graduates, the unemployment rate has surged to 24.9 percent, despite the number of universities in Turkey more than doubling in recent years.
As of January 2024 there were a total of 209 universities in Turkey. Of these, 131 are public universities and 78 are private institutions.
Critics argue that several educational reforms enacted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have worsened youth job prospects. These include extending secondary education from three to four years in 2005, which delayed labor market entry for high school graduates and the establishment of universities in all 81 provinces, a move widely criticized for weakening academic standards.
In 2022 the government also abolished the minimum score threshold for university entrance exams, which was viewed by many as an attempt to inflate enrollment figures rather than address underlying labor market issues.
The report also reveals stark gender disparities in youth employment. While 51.7 percent of young men are employed, the rate drops to just 26.4 percent for young women.
In total, 4.7 million people aged 15 to 29, more than one in four, are not in employment, education or training (NEET). Women are disproportionately affected, with 36.5 percent classified as NEET compared to 15.7 percent of men.
Broadly defined youth unemployment, which includes discouraged workers, seasonal laborers and the underemployed, reached 37.3 percent in the final quarter of 2024, significantly higher than the European Union and OECD averages. For young women, the rate was 46.7 percent, more than double that of their male counterparts.
Union membership among young workers remains low, with only 9 percent of those aged 15 to 29 belonging to a union. The report also notes elevated poverty rates among youth, with 17.1 percent of those aged 15 to 24 living in poverty compared to a national average of 13.3 percent. The rate rises to 18.6 percent for young women.
DİSK-AR called on policymakers to implement long-term employment strategies focused on creating secure jobs and ensuring robust social protections for young workers. It urged reforms to improve the quality of higher education, expand public investment to generate employment, enforce labor protections and promote gender equality in the workforce. The report also warned against the exploitation of young people as unregistered or low-paid labor.
Turkey has been grappling with economic instability in recent years, marked by high inflation, persistent unemployment and what rights groups describe as a deteriorating democratic climate. President Erdoğan faces growing criticism for alleged mismanagement of the economy and for consolidating power through a system that stifles dissent and jails critics on politically motivated charges.