Turkey's Youth Unemployment Rate is Low: NEET Data

Striking Data on the NEET Youth Situation in Turkey

Turkey has the highest rate of young people disconnected from education and employment among European Union countries. According to a report prepared by the Bahçeşehir University Center for Economic and Social Research (BETAM), about 2.3 million young people are not in education or employment, and only a quarter of them are actively seeking work.

NEET Indicator and Turkey's Position

The term "not in education, employment, or training" (NEET) in the report analyzes young people aged 15-24 or 15-29 who have completed their education but are not working. As of 2024, the NEET rate in Turkey is determined to be %22.9, making Turkey the country with the highest NEET rate in Europe.

Exceptional Feature: Youth Unemployment Rate and NEET

Turkey has a youth unemployment rate of %16.4, which is lower than the NEET rate. This situation indicates that the difficulties faced by young people in finding jobs are not only due to unemployment but also stem from early dropout from education, gender roles, and structural barriers.

Women and Regional Inequalities

Approximately %66 of the NEET group consists of women. The highest NEET rates are observed in the Southeastern Anatolia (%31.5) and Eastern Anatolia (%28.3) regions. In these regions, the NEET rate for young women has reached high figures of %40.6 and %35.1, respectively.

Job Seeking Behavior of NEET Groups

According to 2023 data, %26.8 of all NEET youth are job seekers, with %71.7 of this group being women. The regional distribution of job-seeking youth varies significantly.

Education Level and Job Seeking Difficulties

Despite %53.5 of the young people in the NEET group having a high level of education, they struggle to find jobs. %70 of NEET youth in Turkey have given up job searching because they previously could not find jobs or believed there were no suitable jobs available.

Marriage and NEET Relationship

Marriage increases the likelihood of being NEET among young women; %36 of NEET women are married, while the rate among married men is only %4. This situation is closely related to social norms and childcare responsibilities.

In conclusion, the high NEET rates in Turkey should be addressed not only through economic indicators but also by examining the weak connections in the transition from education to employment, gender inequalities, and regional disparities. The solution lies in inclusive social policies and reforms focused on gender equality.