Turkey's unemployment rate at 10.9 percent in 2017

By Muhammed Ali Gurtas

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's annual unemployment rate has remained unchanged compared with the previous year at 10.9 percent in 2017, the country's statistical authority announced on Friday.

Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) said the number of unemployed persons aged 15 years and over -- 3.45 million last year -- increased by 124,000, year-on-year.

The unemployment rate was "9.4 percent with 0.2 percentage point decrease for male, 14.1 percent with 0.4 percentage point increase for female", the institute said.

Official data also showed that non-agricultural unemployment rate remained the same as well at 13 percent last year.

While youth unemployment rate, including 15-24 age group was "20.8 percent with 1.2 percentage point increase, unemployment rate for 15-64 age group occurred as 11.1 percent without any change", TurkStat said.