Unemployment rate at 13.4 pct in February

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

Unemployment in Turkey was 13.4 percent in February, up 0.7 percentage points from the previous month, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) released on April 12.

The number of unemployed people aged 15 and over increased by 250,000 to 4.2 million in February compared to January, TÜİK said in a statement.

As of January, the body made changes to its household workforce survey in line with International Labor Organization (ILO) and EU norms.

Under the changes, the labor force statistics shifted from three-month moving averages to independent monthly estimates.

The employment rate also slightly diminished 0.1 percentage points month-on-month to 43.4 percent, or 27.5 million people.

Labor force participation reached 50.1 percent this February, up 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous month.

Over 31.7 million people are taking part in the country's labor force, with a rise of 226,000 in February compared to the previous month, added TÜİK.

The youth unemployment rate in the 15-24 age demographic was 26.9 percent in February, posting a 0.4 percentage point rise month-on-month.