Unregistered employment is one of the prime challenges to Turkey's labour market. In 2013, the rate of unregistered employment was over 36% of the workforce (TurkStat). Unregistered employment causes loss of income for the state and loss of rights for workers who work unregistered (health insurance, pension, maternity benefits, etc.).
To improve the efficiency of the public sector in dealing with labour market challenges, Turkey has adopted a new risk-based approach to unregistered employment — prevention through guidance and inspection rather than punitive action based on notification. Correspondingly, Human Dynamics, as a consortium leader, has been engaged to increase the capacity of Turkey's Social Security Institution (Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu, SGK) to promote registered employment using this new approach.
The project will work alongside the SGK to increase the guidance and inspection capacity of SGK at the central and the local level; to increase the policy making capacity of SGK at the central level; and to raise public awareness of the importance of registered employment and of the socio-economic benefits available through SGK.
Our team are working to deliver: policies to cope with unregistered employment, risk analysis instruments (ICT), Academic Advisory Board to deal exclusively with the issue of unregistered employment, wide-scale regional analyses, increased cooperation between SGK and social partners, intensive programme of events (seminars, workshops, training sessions and conferences), and targeted awareness raising activities (pupils, students, workers, employers).
The project — also known as KITUP II — is a continuation of previous EU assistance. Its impact will reach far beyond its conclusion, contributing to sustainable economy, to reduced social and economic vulnerability, and to lives and work in dignity for millions of people.