Turkey's unemployment rate at 13.1 pct in March

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

Turkey's unemployment rate read 13.1 percent in March, down 0.1 percentage point month-on-month, the country's statistical authority announced on May 10.

The number of unemployed people aged 15 and over increased by 59,000 to 4.2 million in March compared to February, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) said in a statement.

The employment rate realized as 44.3 percent with a 0.8 percentage point monthly rise as the number of employed people rose by 550,000 to 28.9 million.

Labor force participation reached 51 percent in March, up 0.9 percentage point compared to the previous month.

Over 32 million people are taking part in the country's labor force, with a rise of 610,000 in March versus a month earlier, according to TÜİK.

The youth unemployment rate in the 15-24 age group was 25 percent in March, posting a 0.7 percentage point fall monthly.