Double-income not prevalent in Turkey

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

Turkey has the lowest number of families in which both parents are employed among 32 countries surveyed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Turkish Confederation of Employers’ Unions (TİSK) has said, citing a recent OECD report.

The report, titled “Gender Equality in Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship,” includes comparative data on employment characteristics of families in 32 countries, 26 of which are members of the OECD.

Both parents work in 57 percent of families in OECD countries, with Slovenia leading in this respect with 82 percent. Turkey is the worst performer out of all 32 countries in this category, with only 15 percent. The main reason for this figure is that in most cases the male parent is employed while the female parent is not. In one-third of families in OECD countries, only one parent has a full-time job, while the rate is 69 percent in Turkey.

Women have hard time entering working life, the report said, adding that part-time jobs are not common in Turkey, unlike in Western countries. Educational and social barriers also prevent women from being employed, the report said. The rate of double-income families is 5.7 percent in the OECD.