Analysis of the Istanbul labor market from a gender equality perspective
Publisher: International Labour Organization
Volume: 50 pages, pdf
Description:
The present study seeks to analyse the Istanbul labour market from a gender perspective and to develop policy suggestions on this basis. The basic reference and data source of the study is the outcomes of the 1st Period (June) application of the Labour Market Demand Survey for Istanbul. Beyond outcomes specifically related to Istanbul, the study also uses findings of the same survey related to the country as a whole (Labour Market Analysis 2014, 1st Period – Turkey) and data from TURKSTAT’s (Turkish Institute of Statistics) Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS). The basic findings of the report may be outlined as follows: Female employment in Istanbul overwhelmingly consists of wage labour. Unpaid agricultural work, which is common throughout Turkey, is almost non-existent in this province. The structure of women’s employment in Istanbul is therefore closer to that of advanced market economies in this respect; however, women’s labour force participation is quite low. Barriers to women’s labour force participation include their weak labour market attachment, which is as strong a factor as the other obstacles to labour market entry. Women mostly enter the labour market while they are single and leave not to return upon marriage and childbirth.