Unemployment Rate Evolution in Turkey from 1990 to 2021

Turkey’s unemployment rate in the early 1990s remained fairly stable, averaging around 8%. Economic reforms and liberalization efforts in the late 1990s helped reduce the rate to 6.5% by 2000. However, the 2001 financial crisis caused a sharp spike to 8.4%, followed by another peak at 10.5% in 2003. The 2008 global financial crisis also pushed Turkey’s unemployment to 14% by 2009, indicating the impact of external shocks on the economy.

From 2011 onward, Turkey’s unemployment rate remained relatively high, hovering around 10-13% due to geopolitical issues and economic volatility. Although it improved to 9.4% by 2023, high inflation and policy challenges persist as key factors influencing labor market stability in Turkey.