Turkish Institute of Statistics (TÜİK) announces that number of unemployed rose to 3 million 650 thousand people and rate of unemployment reaches 15.5 percent as of January 2009. Unemployment rate in non-agricultural sectors mounts to 19 percent. Today's announcement reveals that 1 million 59 thousand people joins the unemployed in one year.

According to TÜİK,

• Unemployment rate in 15-24 age group rises to 27.9 percent from 21.2 percent between January 2008 and 2009.
• Population in the age of employment rises to 51 million 323 thousand from 50 million 435 thousand.
• Employment rate drops from 39,3 percent to 38,7 percent.
• Number of people working in agriculture rises by 259 thousand. Number of people working in non-agriculture drops by 184 thousand.
• Rate of those who lack social security despite working is 40.8 percent. Eight out of 10 people working in agriculture and three out of ten people working in other fields lack any social security.
• Of those who are employed, 60.8 percent work on salaries, 27.9 percent work for themselves and 11.3 percent are unpaid domestic workers.
• 73.8 percent of the employed and 74.4 percent of the unemployed are men.(EÜ/AGÜ)