Report: Turkey last among OECD countries in women's public employment

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Women's employment rate in the public sector in Turkey is the lowest among OECD countries and well below the OECD average, according to a new report by the Genel-İş Union, which is affiliated with the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK).

While the rate of women employees in the public sector is 60 percent in OECD countries, it's only 25.31 in Turkey, according to the report. This rate is 63.55 percent in France, 59.74 percent in Hungary and 48 percent in Greece, it noted.

"This is important data in terms of demonstrating that equality has not been ensured in public policies in Turkey and efforts directed at this are pretty insufficient," said the union.

Other highlights of the report:

*While the ratio of general public expenditures in GDP is 42.12 percent, it is 35 percent in Turkey.

*Eight of every 10 people in Turkey are employed in the private sector and two are employed in the public sector. There are four public employees for every four people in the country.

*Public employment in Turkey increased by 35.7 percent, or 1.25 million between 2015 and 2020. The increase occurred after contracted workers in the public sector became permanent workers in December 2017 as per Statutory Decree No. 696.

*There are currently 4.77 million public employees in Turkey.

*The share of public employment in total employment in Turkey is 10.77 percent, below the OECD average of 17.69 percent.

*"The greater the share of public employment in total employment, the higher the quality of services. It also protects employees, as working relationships in the public are more secure than in the private sector."

*The yearly economic growth did not increase public employment in Turkey, Italy and Hungary in 2017. Turkey's growth rate was 7.4 percent in that year.

*From 2018 to 2019, public employment increased the most at the Ministry of National Education. This increase was caused by the employment of 40,000 new contracted teachers, in other words, by insecure employment.

*The Ministry of Health saw the second-highest increase the number of employees in the same period with 26,524. However, there are still two doctors and nurses per 1,000 people in the country. In the US, France and Germany, there are more than 10 nurses per 1,000 people.

*The highest decrease in employment was at the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services and the Ministry of National Defense.

*Because of the economic crisis that started in 2017-2018, the number of people employed in the private sector decreased from 24.38 million in 2018 to 22.77 million in 2020.

*In terms of the employment type, the number of public servants, which is the most secure type of employment, increased by 2.1 in the last five years whereas the number of contracted public employees increased by 241 percent.

*The number of public servants increased from 2.89 million in 2015 to 2.95 million in 2020. The number of contracted employees increased from 149,133 to 496,982.

There are more than 494,000 people employed in municipal companies whereas it was 16,793 in 2015. (HA/VK)