Survey finds employment lagging in Turkey compared to the EU, while working hours are longer

Turkey's employment rate is lower than European Union averages, while its working hours are longer compared to in the Union, according to a new survey by Eurostat, the EU's statistical office. Eurostat's 2010 European Labour Force Survey found that the employment rate for people aged 20-64 in Turkey is 50 percent, broken down into 72.7 percent for men but only 28 percent for women. This compares to the EU's employment rate for that age range of 68.6 percent, broken down into 75.1 percent for men and 62.1 percent for women. Eurostat also found that full-time workers in Turkey aged 15 and up work an average of 52.2 hours a week, well over the EU average of 40.4 hours a week.