Istanbul, Nov 7
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.
Over the past five years, at least 90 per cent of job applications to his company have come from foreign applicants, with only about 10 per cent from locals, he said.
"Currently, about 40 per cent of our workforce is made up of foreign workers, mostly Syrians, Afghans, and other nationals living in Turkey," Eroglu told Xinhua on Tuesday.
"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.
Turkey is facing a growing labour shortage across various sectors, creating production challenges despite high salaries and leading many industries to rely on foreign workers to fill the gap.
Salaries across various sectors in Turkey have risen sharply to attract qualified local workers, according to a November 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 US 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.
Muberra Eresin, president of the Turkish Hoteliers Association, highlighted that the biggest challenge in the hospitality sector, which employs over 1.7 million people, is the shortage of skilled personnel.
While there are approximately 22,000 foreign workers in the sector, the actual demand is for around 100,000 workers. Eresin suggested that allowing foreign students to work part-time could help address the gap.
Ahmet Eyyupoglu, a board member of the Turkish Union of Agricultural Chambers, revealed that Syrians and Afghans currently make up 80 per cent of the workforce in Turkey's agriculture sector, specifically in shepherding roles.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he warned that if these foreign workers were to leave, it could lead to the collapse of livestock farming in the country.
Mustafa Gultepe, president of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly, emphasised the need for collaboration with the Ministry of Labour 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 labour importation, and decisions should be based on thorough analysis," Gultepe told reporters on Tuesday.