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NEET Olgusu Bağlamında Genç İşsizliği: Türkiye’de Makroekonomik ve Sosyo-Demografik Dinamikler

Year 2026, Volume: 2 Issue: 89 , 595 - 620 , 23.04.2026
https://doi.org/10.54752/ct.1789676
https://izlik.org/JA67PW66YU

Abstract

Bu çalışma, 2000–2023 döneminde Türkiye’de NEET (Ne Eğitimde Ne İstihdamda Olan) oranının makroekonomik ve sosyo-demografik belirleyicilerini incelemektedir. Analizlerde üç farklı ARDL modeli kullanılmış ve kısa ile uzun dönem dinamikleri değerlendirilmiştir. Modellerde işsizlik, enflasyon, GSYH, ihracat gibi makroekonomik göstergeler ile eğitimli işsizlik, eğitim harcamaları, bağımlı nüfus oranı ve kadın işgücüne katılım gibi sosyo-demografik faktörler yer almıştır. Ayrıca 2008 küresel finans krizi ve COVID-19 pandemisi gibi şok dönemleri analizlere dahil edilmiştir.
Bulgular, NEET’in yüksek bir kalıcılık gösterdiğini ve geçmiş değerlerin güncel oranları belirlemede etkili olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Kısa dönemde işsizlik ve kriz şokları NEET’i artırırken, eğitim ve işsizlik göstergeleri karmaşık etkiler göstermektedir. Uzun dönemde ise makroekonomik dalgalanmalar, demografik yapılar ve toplumsal cinsiyet temelli işgücü dinamikleri belirleyici rol oynamaktadır.
Elde edilen sonuçlar, gençlerin eğitim ve işgücü piyasasından uzun süreli kopmalarını önlemek için ekonomik istikrar ve eğitim politikalarının önemini vurgulamaktadır.

References

  • Afyonoğlu, M. F., Yiğit, R. R., Mısırlı, G. N., & Bilgin, Ö. (2024). Social work graduates as youth not in education, employment, or training (neet) in Türkiye: An intersectional analysis. Journal of Social Service Research, 50(3), 494-517.
  • Allegretto, Sylvia A. (2013) : US youth: A lost generation in the making?, Intereconomics, ISSN 1613-964X, Springer, Heidelberg, Vol. 48, Iss. 5, pp. 323-324, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10272-013-0475-6
  • Azu, N. P., Jelivov, G., Aras, O. N., & Isik, A. (2021). Influence of digital economy on youth unemployment in West Africa. Transnational Corporations Review, 13(1), 32-42.
  • Bell, D., & Blanchflower, D. (2011). Young people and the Great Recession. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 27(2), 241–267.
  • Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi Ekonomik ve Toplumsal Araştırmalar Merkezi (BETAM). (2025). A Multidimensional Analysis of Young People NEETs in Türkiye. https://betam.bahcesehir.edu.tr/en/2025/10/a-multidimensional-analysis-of-young-people-neither-in-education-nor-in-employment-neets-in-turkiye/
  • Carcillo, S., Fernández, R., Königs, S., & Minea, A. (2015). NEET Youth in the Aftermath of the Crisis: Challenges and Policies. OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 164. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/5js6363503f6-en
  • Çolak, K., & Koç, S. (2023). Türkiye ve AB aktif işgücü piyasası NEET’lerin mevcut durum analizi ve çözüm politikaları. In International Marmara Social Sciences Congress (Imascon Spring 2023) (p. 238).
  • Dasgupta, S. (2022). Global Employment Trends for Youth 2022: Investing in Transforming Futures for Young People. Uluslararası Çalışma Örgütü (ILO). Erişim adresi: https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_853321/lang--en/index.htm
  • Elder, S. (2015). What does NEETs mean and why is the concept so easily misinterpreted?. ILO. http://www.ilo.org/employment/areas/youth-employment/work-for-youth/publications/technical-briefs/WCMS_343153/lang--en/index.htm
  • Eurofound, M. (2012). NEETs–Young people not in employment, education or training: Characteristics, costs and policy responses in Europe. European Foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions.
  • Elitaş, Z. (2025). Individual and family related determinants of NEET probability: An empirical study for Türkiye. Anadolu Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 26(1), 538–567.
  • Ertürkmen, G. (2024). NE eğitimde ne de istihdamda olan (NEET) genç nüfus: Türkiye üzerine bir araştırma. İstihdam, İşsizlik, İşgücü Alanında Güncel Çalışmalar, 133.
  • Furlong, A. (2006). Not a very NEET solution: Representing problematic labour market transitions among early school-leavers. Work, Employment and Society, 20(3), 553–569.
  • Gujarati, D., & Porter, D. (2009). Basic econometrics (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
  • Günay, E. K. (2025). Macroeconomic indicators affect the NEET: A panel data analysis for BRICST countries. Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 13(1), 229-242.
  • International Monetary Fund (IMF). (2005). Error correction models in panel data. IMF Working Paper No. 05/170. https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2005/wp05170.pdf.
  • International Labour Organization (ILO). (2020). Youth and COVID-19: Impacts on jobs, education, rights and mental well-being. International Labour Office. https://www.ilo.org/publications/youth-covid-19-impacts-jobs-education-rights-and-mental-well-being
  • Kabadayi, F., Akıncı, M., Öztürk, F., & Beldağ, A. (2025). Not being in education, employment, or training (NEET) in a collectivist Turkish culture: exploring the experiences of social studies teachers. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 1-30.
  • Karaoglan, D., Begen, N., & Tat, P. (2024). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on overweight and obesity: the case of NEET in Türkiye. Discover Public Health, 21(1), 182.
  • Kripfganz, S., & Schneider, D. C. (2023). ardl: Estimating autoregressive distributed lag and equilibrium correction models. The Stata Journal, 23(4), 983–1019. https://doi.org/10.1177/1536867X231212434
  • Köken, M., & Koç, S. (2022). Türkiye’de bölgesel NEET verilerinin mekansal panel veri analizi. Journal of International Management Educational and Economics Perspectives, 10(2), 113-129.
  • O'Higgins, N. (2022). Youth and the future of work: COVID-19, digitalization and well-being. International Labour Organization. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28391.73120
  • Önal, A., & Yenihan, B. (2024). NEET ve bireysel boyutları: Dünya ölçeğinden Türkiye özeline bir karşılaştırma. Ekonomi Gündemi: Analizler ve İncelemeler, 2, 58
  • Özdemir, M. O., Ozcan, K. M., & Üçdoğruk, Ş. (2023). Youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET) in Turkey: a regional analysis. Ege Academic Review, 23(3), 409-426.
  • Pastore, F. (2018). Why is youth unemployment so high and different across countries? IZA World of Labor. https://doi.org/10.15185/izawol.420
  • Pesaran, M. H., Shin, Y., & Smith, R. J. (2001). Bounds testing approaches to the analysis of level relationships. Journal of Applied Econometrics, 16(3), 289–326. https://doi.org/10.1002/jae.616
  • Quintini, G., Martin, J. P., & Martin, S. (2007). The changing nature of the school-to-work transition process in OECD countries. WDA-HSG discussion paper, (2007-2).
  • Scarpetta, S., Sonnet, A., & Manfredi, T. (2010). Rising youth unemployment during the crisis: How to prevent negative long-term consequences on a generation? OECD Social, Employment and Migration Papers, No. 106.
  • Simões, F., Meneses, A., Luís, R., & Drumonde, R. (2017). NEETs in a rural region of Southern Europe: Perceived self-efficacy, perceived barriers, educational expectations, and vocational expectations. Journal of Youth Studies, 20(9), 1109–1126. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2017.1311403
  • Soylu, Ö. B., & Aydın, B. N. (2020). Genç İşsizliğin Gelişimi, Belirleyicileri Ve İktisadi Politikalar: Avrupa Birliği-Türkiye Karşılaştırması. EKEV Akademi Dergisi, (82), 339-360.
  • Tamesberger, D., & Bacher, J. (2020). COVID-19 crisis: How to avoid a ‘lost generation’. Intereconomics, 55(4), 232-238.
  • Tatar, M., & Öztürk, M. (2024). Türkiye’de NEET gençliği sorunsalına çözüm: NEET izleme merkezlerinin oluşturulması. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, (53), 133-152.
  • Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK). (2023). İşgücü İstatistikleri, 2023. Erişim adresi: https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Istatistiklerle-Genclik-2023-53677.
  • Türkiye İş Kurumu. (2024). 2024-2028 Stratejik Planı. https://www.iskur.gov.tr/medya/afljrevv/2024-2028-stratejik-plani.pdf
  • United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). (2020). World Youth Report: Youth Social Entrepreneurship and the 2030 Agenda. Birleşmiş Milletler. Erişim adresi: https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2020/07/2020-World-Youth-Report-FULL-FINAL.pdf
  • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2022). Human Development Report 2021/2022: Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World. New York: UNDP. Erişim adresi: https://hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-2021-22
  • Usanmaz, A. (2024). NE eğitimde ne istihdamda olan (NEET) gençlik üzerine bir değerlendirme. Çukurova Araştırmaları Dergisi, 10(21), 19–37.
  • Yavaş, H. K. (2021). Türkiye’de genç kadın işsizliği ve işgücü politikaları. Çalışma ve Toplum, 1(68), 151-180.
  • Yates, S., & Payne, M. (2006). Not so NEET? A critique of the use of “NEET” in policy making. Journal of Youth Studies, 9(3), 329–344.
  • Yunil, Denis Nfor; Makhetha, Leseko S.; Lelimo, Sylvester (2023): Analyzing the relationship between Industrialization and economic growth in Lesotho, Cogent Economics & Finance, ISSN 2332-2039, Taylor & Francis, Abingdon, Vol. 11, Iss. 2, pp. 1-19, https://doi.org/10.1080/23322039.2023.2285620.

Youth Unemployment in the Context of the NEET Phenomenon: Macroeconomic and Socio-Demographic Dynamics in Türkiye

Year 2026, Volume: 2 Issue: 89 , 595 - 620 , 23.04.2026
https://doi.org/10.54752/ct.1789676
https://izlik.org/JA67PW66YU

Abstract

This study examines the macroeconomic and socio-demographic determinants of the NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) rate in Turkey over the period 2000–2023. Three ARDL model specifications are employed to capture both short- and long-term dynamics. The models include macroeconomic variables such as unemployment, inflation, GDP, and exports, alongside socio-demographic factors including educated unemployment, government spending on education, dependent population ratio, and female labor force participation. Crisis periods, specifically the 2008 global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, are incorporated to assess extraordinary impacts on youth labor market engagement.
Results indicate that NEET exhibits strong persistence, with past values significantly influencing current levels. In the short run, unemployment and crisis shocks increase NEET, while education and labor market participation indicators show complex effects. Long-term analysis reveals that macroeconomic instability, demographic structures, and gender-based labor market dynamics are critical determinants.
These findings highlight the multidimensional nature of NEET and emphasize the importance of economic stability and education policies in preventing prolonged disengagement of youth from education and the labor market.

References

  • Afyonoğlu, M. F., Yiğit, R. R., Mısırlı, G. N., & Bilgin, Ö. (2024). Social work graduates as youth not in education, employment, or training (neet) in Türkiye: An intersectional analysis. Journal of Social Service Research, 50(3), 494-517.
  • Allegretto, Sylvia A. (2013) : US youth: A lost generation in the making?, Intereconomics, ISSN 1613-964X, Springer, Heidelberg, Vol. 48, Iss. 5, pp. 323-324, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10272-013-0475-6
  • Azu, N. P., Jelivov, G., Aras, O. N., & Isik, A. (2021). Influence of digital economy on youth unemployment in West Africa. Transnational Corporations Review, 13(1), 32-42.
  • Bell, D., & Blanchflower, D. (2011). Young people and the Great Recession. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 27(2), 241–267.
  • Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi Ekonomik ve Toplumsal Araştırmalar Merkezi (BETAM). (2025). A Multidimensional Analysis of Young People NEETs in Türkiye. https://betam.bahcesehir.edu.tr/en/2025/10/a-multidimensional-analysis-of-young-people-neither-in-education-nor-in-employment-neets-in-turkiye/
  • Carcillo, S., Fernández, R., Königs, S., & Minea, A. (2015). NEET Youth in the Aftermath of the Crisis: Challenges and Policies. OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 164. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/5js6363503f6-en
  • Çolak, K., & Koç, S. (2023). Türkiye ve AB aktif işgücü piyasası NEET’lerin mevcut durum analizi ve çözüm politikaları. In International Marmara Social Sciences Congress (Imascon Spring 2023) (p. 238).
  • Dasgupta, S. (2022). Global Employment Trends for Youth 2022: Investing in Transforming Futures for Young People. Uluslararası Çalışma Örgütü (ILO). Erişim adresi: https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_853321/lang--en/index.htm
  • Elder, S. (2015). What does NEETs mean and why is the concept so easily misinterpreted?. ILO. http://www.ilo.org/employment/areas/youth-employment/work-for-youth/publications/technical-briefs/WCMS_343153/lang--en/index.htm
  • Eurofound, M. (2012). NEETs–Young people not in employment, education or training: Characteristics, costs and policy responses in Europe. European Foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions.
  • Elitaş, Z. (2025). Individual and family related determinants of NEET probability: An empirical study for Türkiye. Anadolu Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 26(1), 538–567.
  • Ertürkmen, G. (2024). NE eğitimde ne de istihdamda olan (NEET) genç nüfus: Türkiye üzerine bir araştırma. İstihdam, İşsizlik, İşgücü Alanında Güncel Çalışmalar, 133.
  • Furlong, A. (2006). Not a very NEET solution: Representing problematic labour market transitions among early school-leavers. Work, Employment and Society, 20(3), 553–569.
  • Gujarati, D., & Porter, D. (2009). Basic econometrics (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
  • Günay, E. K. (2025). Macroeconomic indicators affect the NEET: A panel data analysis for BRICST countries. Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 13(1), 229-242.
  • International Monetary Fund (IMF). (2005). Error correction models in panel data. IMF Working Paper No. 05/170. https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2005/wp05170.pdf.
  • International Labour Organization (ILO). (2020). Youth and COVID-19: Impacts on jobs, education, rights and mental well-being. International Labour Office. https://www.ilo.org/publications/youth-covid-19-impacts-jobs-education-rights-and-mental-well-being
  • Kabadayi, F., Akıncı, M., Öztürk, F., & Beldağ, A. (2025). Not being in education, employment, or training (NEET) in a collectivist Turkish culture: exploring the experiences of social studies teachers. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 1-30.
  • Karaoglan, D., Begen, N., & Tat, P. (2024). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on overweight and obesity: the case of NEET in Türkiye. Discover Public Health, 21(1), 182.
  • Kripfganz, S., & Schneider, D. C. (2023). ardl: Estimating autoregressive distributed lag and equilibrium correction models. The Stata Journal, 23(4), 983–1019. https://doi.org/10.1177/1536867X231212434
  • Köken, M., & Koç, S. (2022). Türkiye’de bölgesel NEET verilerinin mekansal panel veri analizi. Journal of International Management Educational and Economics Perspectives, 10(2), 113-129.
  • O'Higgins, N. (2022). Youth and the future of work: COVID-19, digitalization and well-being. International Labour Organization. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28391.73120
  • Önal, A., & Yenihan, B. (2024). NEET ve bireysel boyutları: Dünya ölçeğinden Türkiye özeline bir karşılaştırma. Ekonomi Gündemi: Analizler ve İncelemeler, 2, 58
  • Özdemir, M. O., Ozcan, K. M., & Üçdoğruk, Ş. (2023). Youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET) in Turkey: a regional analysis. Ege Academic Review, 23(3), 409-426.
  • Pastore, F. (2018). Why is youth unemployment so high and different across countries? IZA World of Labor. https://doi.org/10.15185/izawol.420
  • Pesaran, M. H., Shin, Y., & Smith, R. J. (2001). Bounds testing approaches to the analysis of level relationships. Journal of Applied Econometrics, 16(3), 289–326. https://doi.org/10.1002/jae.616
  • Quintini, G., Martin, J. P., & Martin, S. (2007). The changing nature of the school-to-work transition process in OECD countries. WDA-HSG discussion paper, (2007-2).
  • Scarpetta, S., Sonnet, A., & Manfredi, T. (2010). Rising youth unemployment during the crisis: How to prevent negative long-term consequences on a generation? OECD Social, Employment and Migration Papers, No. 106.
  • Simões, F., Meneses, A., Luís, R., & Drumonde, R. (2017). NEETs in a rural region of Southern Europe: Perceived self-efficacy, perceived barriers, educational expectations, and vocational expectations. Journal of Youth Studies, 20(9), 1109–1126. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2017.1311403
  • Soylu, Ö. B., & Aydın, B. N. (2020). Genç İşsizliğin Gelişimi, Belirleyicileri Ve İktisadi Politikalar: Avrupa Birliği-Türkiye Karşılaştırması. EKEV Akademi Dergisi, (82), 339-360.
  • Tamesberger, D., & Bacher, J. (2020). COVID-19 crisis: How to avoid a ‘lost generation’. Intereconomics, 55(4), 232-238.
  • Tatar, M., & Öztürk, M. (2024). Türkiye’de NEET gençliği sorunsalına çözüm: NEET izleme merkezlerinin oluşturulması. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, (53), 133-152.
  • Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK). (2023). İşgücü İstatistikleri, 2023. Erişim adresi: https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Istatistiklerle-Genclik-2023-53677.
  • Türkiye İş Kurumu. (2024). 2024-2028 Stratejik Planı. https://www.iskur.gov.tr/medya/afljrevv/2024-2028-stratejik-plani.pdf
  • United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). (2020). World Youth Report: Youth Social Entrepreneurship and the 2030 Agenda. Birleşmiş Milletler. Erişim adresi: https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2020/07/2020-World-Youth-Report-FULL-FINAL.pdf
  • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2022). Human Development Report 2021/2022: Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World. New York: UNDP. Erişim adresi: https://hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-2021-22
  • Usanmaz, A. (2024). NE eğitimde ne istihdamda olan (NEET) gençlik üzerine bir değerlendirme. Çukurova Araştırmaları Dergisi, 10(21), 19–37.
  • Yavaş, H. K. (2021). Türkiye’de genç kadın işsizliği ve işgücü politikaları. Çalışma ve Toplum, 1(68), 151-180.
  • Yates, S., & Payne, M. (2006). Not so NEET? A critique of the use of “NEET” in policy making. Journal of Youth Studies, 9(3), 329–344.
  • Yunil, Denis Nfor; Makhetha, Leseko S.; Lelimo, Sylvester (2023): Analyzing the relationship between Industrialization and economic growth in Lesotho, Cogent Economics & Finance, ISSN 2332-2039, Taylor & Francis, Abingdon, Vol. 11, Iss. 2, pp. 1-19, https://doi.org/10.1080/23322039.2023.2285620.
There are 40 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language Turkish
Subjects Employment
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Reyhan Cafrı 0000-0002-6271-5330

Submission Date September 23, 2025
Acceptance Date April 13, 2026
Publication Date April 23, 2026
DOI https://doi.org/10.54752/ct.1789676
IZ https://izlik.org/JA67PW66YU
Published in Issue Year 2026 Volume: 2 Issue: 89

Cite

APA Cafrı, R. (2026). NEET Olgusu Bağlamında Genç İşsizliği: Türkiye’de Makroekonomik ve Sosyo-Demografik Dinamikler. Çalışma Ve Toplum, 2(89), 595-620. https://doi.org/10.54752/ct.1789676

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