‘Number of hopeless unemployed has increased by 117 percent’

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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The Research Center of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK-AR) released its September Report on Unemployment and Unemployment Outlook today (October 12).

Referring to the Labor Force Statistics announced by the state agency Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) for July 2020, the report has underlined that while the TurkStat figures have shown the partial deterioration after April and May, when the effects of the pandemic were deeply felt, there is still a grave picture in employment and unemployment in the country.

CLICK - Unemployment rate in Turkey in July: 13.4 percent

"According to the TurkStat, the narrow-defined unemployment rate is 13.4 percent with a 0.5 point decrease. The number of unemployed in Turkey has dropped by 369 thousand to 4 million 227 thousand in July when compared with the same period last year," the DİSK-AR report has reminded the public and leveled the following criticisms to the TurkStat figures:

"The narrow-defined unemployment rate and number of unemployed announced by the TurkStat is far from reflecting the destruction caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Due to the ban on lay-offs which has been in effect in the country since April 2020, narrow-defined unemployment figures do not reflect the real picture of the labor market.

"The narrow (official) rate and number of unemployed announced by the TurkStat for July 2020 do not reflect the loss of employment and jobs in the COVID-19 period, which is entirely caused by the incompetence of the techniques used by the TurkStat to calculate unemployment."

'Broad unemployment: 9.8 million people'

Against this backdrop, the DİSK has shared its own labor for statistics for July 2020. Some highlights from the report are as follows:

• The devastation of the labor market by COVID-19 and economic crisis continued in July 2020 as well.
• By using the methods of the International Labor Organization (ILO), the DİSK-AR calculated the real job loss and unemployment caused by COVID-19.
• Revised with the COVID-19 effect, the number of broad unemployment and job loss was 10.4 million in July 2020.
• The revised broad unemployment and job loss rate has been calculated as 29.1 percent.
• COVID-19 caused the equivalent of 1 million 879 new job losses in July 2020.
• Broad unemployment rate was 27.3 percent.
• Employment fell by 1 million 254 thousand people in a year.
• Employment rate dropped to 43.5 percent.
• The number of those who are on the job has decreased by 1 million 333 thousand people over the last year.
• The number of hopeless unemployed people increased from 614 thousand to 1 million 335 thousand.
• Women are more affected by COVID-19: Women's labor force decreased by 7.5 percent and women's employment by 6.3 percent.

(EMK/SD)