In Turkey, when we discuss the economy it is usually about inflation, the current deficit and interest rates. Unemployment, an economic barometer that directly affects the people, is generally ignored. As not all the unemployed register with the National Employment Agency of Turkey (ISKUR), the number of unemployed is much higher than official figures show. With the influx of Syrian refugees, there have been spikes in unemployment levels in some regions of the country where many employers prefer to hire Syrians over Turkish workers, as the Syrians work without benefits and for lower wages.

According to the latest data from the Statistical Institute of Turkey, as of March, unemployment stood at 9.7%, or 2,747,000. Compared with the same period last year, this is an increase of 0.3%. This increase may seem insignificant, but it means that 251,000 more people have joined the ranks of the unemployed.

Bearing in mind the unreported masses, the real total is certainly higher. Manual laborers who toil in plantations and fields and construction and textile workers are losing their jobs to Syrians. Many of the unemployed don’t report their status because they don’t believe that ISKUR will find them jobs or because they don’t know how to apply for help.

More than 1 million refugees