Abstract:

The main objective of the paper is to take the snapshot of Covid-19 infection and its dramatic influence on labor markets in Turkey as a whole. Coronavirus pandemic, which hit the world economy and labor markets in a devastating manner, has turned into a significant threat that shapes health concerns and economic activities at the same time. In a way, it forces people to make choices between their health and economic welfare, which is a big dilemma for all. It brings about quick infections as well as deaths pharmaceutically, and business lockdowns, unemployment growth, and job loses financially. It results in psychological disorders and it also changes industrial relations systems and the way of work. Frankly speaking, it is to be noted that it connotates a radical modification in everything and so this new case is called “new normal”. This paper attempts to uncover Covid-19 and its direct impact on labor markets for an emerging economy like Turkey on the basis of some certain criteria such as “unemployment”, “labor force participation”, “health insurance claims”, “employment outlooks”, “unemployment insurance coverages”, “social protection”, “telecommuting”, and so forth. These criteria were developed in parallel to the academic literature written following the pandemic. While making an analysis, the researcher used traditional and non-traditional data from local and global data centers including Turkstat (Turkish Statistical Institute), Iskur (Turkish Employment Agency), OECD, and World Bank. These dataset give an ultimate framework for the assessment of Turkish labor markets (TLMs) following Covid-19. To minimize the shocks of this crisis and to derive some lessons, implications for managers, economy officials, and the policy makers are available in the research.

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