Turkey's unemployment rate at 12.9% in Q1

Turkey's unemployment rate reached 12.9% in the first quarter of 2021, up 0.1 percentage point from the previous quarter, the country's statistical authority announced on Tuesday.

The number of unemployed people aged 15 and over increased by 142,000 to 4.1 million in January-March period, a Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) statement said.

The employment rate realized as 43.8% with a 0.8 percentage point quarterly rise as number of employed people rose by 627,00 to 27.8 million.

Labor force participation reached 50.3% in the first quarter of the year, up 0.1 percentage point compared to the previous quarter.

Nearly 32 million people are taking part in the country's labor force, with a rise of 767,000 in January-March, according to TurkStat.

The youth unemployment rate in the 15-24 age group was 25.3% in March, posting a 0.2 percentage point in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the previous quarter.