Employee count in July increased by 1.2 percent due to paid positions.
In a recent report published by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) on September 16, 2025, data reveals a mixed picture of Turkey's employment sectors.
The trade and services sector, the largest employment sector in Turkey, expanded by 0.3% on a monthly basis. This growth was primarily due to the increase in the construction and trade-services sectors. Within the trade-services sector, trade accounted for 3.49 million employees, with accommodation and food services employing 1.46 million people, and transportation and storage employing 1.28 million.
The construction sector showed a significant growth of 0.9% on a monthly basis, recording the highest annual growth rate at 7.7%. This growth led to an employment of 2 million people in the sector. On the other hand, the industrial sector experienced a decline, with employment decreasing by 3.5% year-on-year to 4.93 million.
Manufacturing, the largest sub-sector in the industrial sector, decreased by 3.8% year-on-year to 4.58 million. The decline was particularly noticeable in the automotive industry, where nearly 7% or about 51,500 jobs were lost in 2025. Other sectors within the industrial sector, such as mining and quarrying, as well as water supply and waste management, also saw declines.
Despite the challenges in the industrial sector, total paid employment in Turkey increased by 1.2% in July 2025 compared to the same month in the previous year, reaching 16.1 million. The employment in the accommodation and food services sector also increased by 4.7% year-on-year to 1.47 million.
Moreover, employment in the real estate activities sector increased by 5.1% year-on-year to around 132,000. The number of employees in the industrial sectors in August 2025 decreased by about 2.1% compared to August 2024, equating to roughly 114,000 fewer industrial jobs in Germany.
In conclusion, while the construction sector showed positive growth, the industrial sector experienced a decline. However, the trade and services sector continued to expand, employing over 9.17 million people and accounting for a significant portion of Turkey's workforce.
