Employment in the accommodation and catering sector reaches record levels

ANKARA

The number of people employed in the accommodation and food services sector reached a record high of more than 1.3 million in May.

According to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), employment in the accommodation and catering sector increased by 8.7 percent or 105,106 people in May 2024 compared to the same month last year.

Companies operating in this industry employed just over 1 million people at the end of 2023. Employment in the industry fell slightly in January 2024, but began to grow in the following months, reaching 1.1 million in March and 1.22 million in April.

The increase in employment in the industry is linked to the development of the tourism sector, İsmet Demirkol, founder of consulting firm Pariterium, told state-owned Anadolu Agency.

Demirkol predicts that employment in the accommodation and food service sector will likely continue to grow in the coming months.

According to TÜİK data, a total of 15.67 million workers were employed in Turkish industry, construction, trade and services in May.

The number of employed persons increased by 4.3%, or 639 thousand people, since May 2023.

Employment in industry rose by 0.6 per cent year-on-year to around 5.1 million, while the number of workers employed in the construction sector rose by 11.1 per cent to 1.82 million.

The trade and services sector saw an increase of 426,000 jobs, or 5.1 percent, and the number of employees reached 8.77 million.

According to TÜİK data, the total number of employed persons in Turkey increased by 0.7 percent in May compared to the previous month.