Türkiye'de Sendikalaşmanın İşsizlik Üzerindeki Etkisi

Trade unions are considered one of the key factors influencing unemployment. On the one hand, they can potentially prevent unemployment by putting pressure on employers. On the other hand, they can cause unemployment to increase by artificially increasing wages. This study investigates the relationship between unionization and unemployment in Turkiye. The trade union density represents unionization, while the unemployment rate represents unemployment. The real minimum wage increase rate is included in the model as a control variable. The period from 1988 to 2023 is examined using unit root and cointegration tests that account for structural breaks. The Lumsdaine-Papell unit root test indicates that all series are integrated of order one, I(1). The Hatemi-J cointegration test examines the longterm relationship between the series. The results indicate that there is no evidence of a statistically significant longrun relationship among the variables under consideration. The findings obtained from the Granger causality test further support this result. In this framework, within the scope of the examined period, the variables employed, and the applied methodology, it can be stated that no clear relationship between unionization and unemployment in Türkiye could be identified. The findings further suggest that policy discussions regarding the relationship between unionization and unemployment should be addressed by taking into account country-specific institutional and structural factors.