Stihdam

Stihdam, typically written istihdam in Turkish, refers to employment or the act of employing people. In economic and policy contexts, it denotes the state of having work opportunities for the working-age population and the ability of an economy to generate jobs. The term is closely related to istihdam policies, which aim to increase job creation and reduce unemployment.

The scope of stihdam includes both formal and informal employment, as well as self-employment and wage work. It encompasses not only the number of people with jobs but also the quality and stability of those jobs, hours worked, and earnings. Measurements used to gauge stihdam often include the unemployment rate, the employment rate, and the labor force participation rate, along with indicators of underemployment and job vacancies.

Policy approaches to promoting stihdam typically involve macroeconomic stabilization, investments in education and training, and programs that connect job seekers with opportunities. Specific tools may include public employment services, apprenticeship and vocational training, wage subsidies, tax incentives for hiring, and active labor market policies designed to improve job matching and reduce structural unemployment.

Common challenges to achieving robust stihdam include automation and technological change, demographic shifts, skill mismatches, regional disparities, and the prevalence of informal or insecure work. In some economies, high informality limits the measured level of istihdam and complicates social protection and productivity growth.

Overall, stihdam is a central objective in economic policy, reflecting a society’s ability to provide meaningful work for its population and to support sustainable development.