The number of paid employees in the accommodation and food services sector in Türkiye exceeded 1.3 million as of May, reaching the highest level ever recorded, according to a report Monday.
At the same time, the number of paid employees in the industrial, construction, trade and service sectors reached a record high of 15.67 million in May, according to the data compiled by Anadolu Agency (AA) from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).
In comparison, this figure stood at 15.03 million in the same period last year.
Türkiye’s unemployment rate eased further and dropped to 8.4% in May, hitting the lowest rate in nearly 12 years, according to the official data last week.
The number of employed persons increased by 273,000 to 32.92 million in May 2024 compared to the previous month, the TurkStat data showed.
Looking specifically at paid employment breakdowns, the number of paid employees in the accommodation and food services sector has steadily increased since the beginning of the year.
Ending last year with 1.09 million employees, the sector’s employment decreased slightly to 1.08 million in the first month of the year.
However, in the subsequent months, the sector’s employment then began to rise, reaching 1.085 million in February, 1.13 million in March, 1.21 million in April, and a record high of 1.3 million in May.
Ismet Demirkol, founder of Pariterium Consulting, speaking to AA, underscored the importance of the accommodation and food services sector for the country’s economy.
Demirkol pointed out the sector’s employment growth is closely linked to the tourism sector and said, “A healthy tourism sector is crucial for foreign currency inflows into the country. Increased foreign currency earnings help reduce the current account deficit and alleviate pressure on exchange rates.”
He also expressed expectations for employment growth in the sector to continue in the coming months.
