Within the context of globalization women’s labour force participation and
employment rates have grown all over the world where as Turkey differs from
most countries with no increase. Compared to the EU, with which Turkey is
presently engaged in accession negotiations, country’s female employment rates
are particularly lower. This situation is associated with low demand for female
labour as well as with socio-cultural factors limiting the supply of female
labour.
At present, the phenomenon of growth without employment creation is
valid for Turkey too. In spite of rather rapid economic growth realised recently,
no comparable growth takes place in many of the enterprises and consequently
employment rates fall. While the rate of population growth has slowed down,
population at economically active ages continues to grow and this exerts a rather
heavy pressure on labour markets. In the period 2000-2005, while the rate of
growth of population at economically active ages grew annually by 1.9%, on
average, and labour force by 1.3%, GDP grew annually by 4.4%, on average,
but the rate of annual employment growth remained only at 0.4%. No substantial
increase in unemployment triggered by growth without employment is
closely associated with large numbers of women at economically productive
ages remaining out of labour force.