A report on unemployment in Turkey released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) shows that the number of unemployed in the country set a record with a rate of 13.5% in December 2018. The number of unemployed people over the age of 15 has increased by 1 million and reached 4.3 million.
Non-agricultural unemployment in the same period of time was estimated to be 15.6% with an increase of 3.3 points. The rate of unemployment in the young population (15-24 year-olds) was 24.5% with an increase of 5.3 points.
While the labor force increased in December 2018 compared to the same period of the previous year with nearly 32 million people, the employment participation rate remained the same – 52.4%. The rate of participation of males remained at 71.7%, and for females, the rate increased by 0.1 points and reached 33.6%.
The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued a press release regarding the report. Highlighting that none of the political parties of the capitalist system seeks to solve the problem of unemployment, the statement is as follows:
7 MILLION UNEMPLOYED: THIS IS TURKEY – NO JOBS, NO FOOD, NO SECURITY
TÜİK announced the numbers on unemployment regarding the last month of the last year. According to the report, the number of the unemployed has increased by 1 million, and the number of the unemployed is now more than 4 million.
We know that the number of the unemployed is much more than that, since the TÜİK is reputed by its tendency to issue reports after [Turkish President] Erdoğan’s heart.
When those who are left out of the “heart’s calculation”, the number of the unemployed goes over 7 million in December.
Moreover, this number does not include those who work informally, those who were made leave without pay under color of crisis, or those who have worked without any payment for months.
And their solution to unemployment is “employment packages” which transfer billions of Turkish Lirsa under the cover of premium supports and incentives.
The most recent package was named “This Is Turkey; Employment Is Here”.
This needs correction.
This is Turkey…
No jobs.
No food.
No security.
No future.
No solution from them, either.
Neither [Turkey’s ruling] AKP nor other bourgeois parties have the intention to change this.
TKP, however, is clear on the issue:
We will change this system of exploitation which generates unemployment and poverty.
Communist Party of Turkey (TKP)
