Seyfettin Gürsel and Selin Köksal
There has been substantial increases unemployment rates in Turkey from 2015 to 2016. Overall unemployment and non-agricultural unemployment rates increased from 10.3 percent to 10.9 and from 12.4 percent to 13 respectively. However, different regions were affected by the rising unemployment asymmetrically. Out of 26 regions, 17 registered increases in unemployment, while 9 had some decreases. Finally, the big differences already existing among regions have become even more pronounced. It is worth noting the significance of the gap between the region with the lowest (7.2 percent) and the highest (30.1 percent) non-agricultural unemployment rates.
For non-agricultural unemployment, Mardin-Batman-Şırnak-Siirt region in Southeast Anatolia has the highest rate. Furthermore, it holds the third rank on the magnitude in the increase of unemployment. The second worst region, Şanlıurfa-Diyarbakır follows Mardin-Batman-Şırnak-Siirt, with a high unemployment rate (23.2 percent) and also a very low employment ratio (27.9 percent). We observe a moderate increase in unemployment rate in this region.
The best region is Tekirdag-Edirne-Kırklareli (Thrace), with a low unemployment rate (8.8 percent), also the highest employment ratio in Turkey (48.9 percent). The only negative development in this region is a marginal increase in the unemployment rate (0.1 percentage points). Nevertheless, this is the result of a faster increase in labor force than in employment.
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