Nearly half of Turkmenistan’s workforce lives in near poverty.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has released its 2024 dataset, providing valuable insights into various employment statistics, including unemployment and working poverty rates. The dataset also provides data for Turkmenistan.
Working Poverty Rate in Turkmenistan
The working poverty rate of ILO shows the percentage of people who have jobs but still earn too little to live above the poverty line. This is based on their income being below a certain level, which depends on the cost of living in the country.
- Total working population: 2.339 million
- Extremely poor: 50,200 people (2.15% of the working population). These people live on less than $2.15 a day, adjusted for local prices (PPP – Purchasing Power Parity).
- Moderately poor: 290,100 people (12.4% of the working population). These people live on $2.15 to $3.65 a day (PPP).
- Near poor: 758,600 people (32.4% of the working population). These people live on $3.65 to $6.85 a day (PPP).
In total, around 47% of the working population in Turkmenistan are either extremely poor, moderately poor, or near poor despite being employed. PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) is used to adjust income levels based on local living costs, ensuring a fair comparison of income across different countries.
Unemployment Rates in Central Asia
The unemployment rate in Turkmenistan shows a relatively low rate of 4.3% for the population aged 15 and above. However, youth unemployment remains a concern, with 9.6% of the population aged 15-24 being unemployed. Here is a breakdown of unemployment rates in the region:
Source: ILO – Modelled Estimates
Unemployment Trend in Turkmenistan (2015-2024)
Labor force participation in Turkmenistan is 47.6% of the total population in 2024 per ILO data while the rest of the population consists of children, elderly, and those who do not work. Looking at trends in Turkmenistan, the unemployment rate has remained steady over the years, consistently at 4% from 2015 to 2019. It rose slightly to 4.5% in 2020 but it is expected to stabilize at 4.3% in 2024. The youth unemployment rate has also seen a gradual increase, from 8.8% in 2015 to 9.6% in 2024.
Source: ILO – Modelled Estimates
Challenges to the official unemployment rate from independent sources
While the official unemployment rate in Turkmenistan is relatively low, it has been met with skepticism from independent sources. For instance, Azatlyk has reported much higher unemployment figures, reaching 60% in 2017, and Chronicles of Turkmenistan suggested it was around 50% based on interviews conducted with 212 individuals in the same year. The US State Department’s Investment Climate Statements also reported estimates ranging from 10% to 50% in 2022, raising doubts about the accuracy of the official statistics.
Informal Employment in Central Asia
In addition to unemployment and poverty data, the ILO also provides insights into informal employment. In Central Asia, approximately 44.7% of the workforce is employed informally in 2024, though country-specific data is not available.
The ILO’s 2024 data paints a mixed picture of labor conditions in Turkmenistan and Central Asia. While the unemployment rate is relatively low, challenges such as youth unemployment and working poverty remain significant. Additionally, challenges persist to the official unemployment rate, as multiple sources suggest the true unemployment figure may be significantly higher than reported.
