İşkur’s Paradox: Job Seekers Rise 3.9% While Vacancies Drop 7.9%

İşkur data reveals a striking imbalance in Turkey’s labor market: 2 315 300 registered job seekers increased, while 204 228 job openings fell in the same period.

3.9% Rise Casts a Shadow

■2 315 300 job seekers, up 86 959 from 2 229 341 a year earlier.

■Women represent 50.9 %, men 49.1 % of the workforce.

■The 15‑24 age group accounts for 24.4 % of seekers.

7.9% Decline in Vacancies

■204 228 new positions, down 17 522 from 221 750 in July 2025.

■99.6 % of openings come from the private sector.

■Manufacturing leads with 497 050 job listings.

Placement Efforts on the Ledger

■126 281 people placed in July; 77 098 men and 49 183 women.

■From January to July, a total of 847 805 placements were recorded.

Sectoral and Occupational Nuances

■Tourism & hospitality, unarmed security officers, and waitstaff are the most in-demand roles.

■99.6 % of openings are private sector; public sector has minimal vacancies.

Macro‑Economic Implications

■Rising unemployment signals potential pressure on credit demand and consumer spending.

■Tightening of SME credit could exacerbate workforce constraints.

■The Central Bank’s macro‑prudential measures are likely to keep credit growth in check.

Kerem Tufan: These figures point to a tightening labor market. An increase in job seekers coupled with a decline in vacancies heightens risk for credit markets, particularly for SMEs. Consequently, macro‑prudential policies will probably persist to safeguard financial stability.