STORY: Türkiye faces growing labor shortage, relying on foreign workers to fill gap
SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 5, 2024
DATELINE: Nov. 10, 2024
LENGTH: 0:01:17
LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Istanbul city in Türkiye
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): UGUR EROGLU, Sales manager at Egece Metal
3. various of workers on a factory's production line in Istanbul, Türkiye
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): UGUR EROGLU, Sales manager at Egece Metal
5. various of workers on a factory's production line in Istanbul, Türkiye

STORYLINE:

Türkiye is facing a growing labor shortage across various sectors, creating production challenges despite high salaries and leading many industries to rely on foreign workers to fill the gap.

Ugur Eroglu, sales manager at Egece Metal, a Turkish company with 64 blue-collar employees in Istanbul, said that Turkish youths have shown little interest in blue-collar jobs in recent years, preferring higher-status jobs.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): UGUR EROGLU, Sales manager at Egece Metal
"Approximately 40 percent of our workforce are foreign workers. We are left with no choice—whenever we post a job advertisement, only foreign applicants respond. For every Turkish applicant, we receive applications from ten foreign workers, including Syrians, Afghans, and individuals from various other nationalities currently residing within Türkiye."   

Over the past five years, at least 90 percent of job applications to his company have come from foreign applicants, with only about 10 percent from locals, he said.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): UGUR EROGLU, Sales manager at Egece Metal 
"To ensure production doesn't halt, we are forced to hire these individuals if they have some relevant skills."

"The Turkish industry must rely on foreign workers to keep production running, despite the additional burdens on companies, such as obtaining individual work permits and providing housing in dormitories or mass accommodation," he added.
   
Salaries across various sectors in Türkiye have risen sharply to attract qualified local workers, according to a Nov. 5 article on memurlar.net, an online news platform focusing on public workers.
   
Crane operators in the construction sector can earn over 120,000 Turkish liras (about 3,500 U.S. dollars) a month, while form-iron-plaster workers can make up to 80,000 liras. In textiles, skilled ironers earn 2-3 times the minimum monthly wage of 17,002 liras, and in heavy industry, experienced workers can earn between 70,000-80,000 liras.
   
Yet, despite these high salaries, these sectors still struggle to attract Turkish workers.
   
Mustafa Gultepe, president of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly, emphasized the need for collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, as many industry leaders are increasingly considering importing workers to sustain production.

"Each country and sector has unique characteristics and needs when it comes to labor importation, and decisions should be based on thorough analysis," Gultepe told reporters on Tuesday.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Türkiye.
(XHTV)