Türkiye’de Bölgesel İşsizliğin Belirleyicilerinin Mekânsal Panel Veri Modelleriyle Analizi

Unemployment is a significant barrier to economic progress and is an important issue that directly affects individuals' quality of life. Imbalances in the labor market, insufficient employment opportunities, and regional disparities lead to fluctuations in the unemployment rate. Therefore, identifying the socio-economic factors affecting unemployment at the regional level is important for developing effective policies in the labor market. This study used spatial panel data models to examine the spatial effects of the unemployment rate and the factors explaining it in Turkey's 26 regions at the NUTS-2 level for the years 2014–2022. The test results identified the spatial error model (SEM) as the appropriate one. Based on its estimation results, we found that the regional growth rate, the number of enterprises, and the increase in the young population reduce regional unemployment, while the increase in university graduates and the poverty rate increase it. It is believed that these results will contribute to the formulation of policies aimed at reducing regional unemployment.