This has weighed heavily on resident population growth as seen from the relatively close correlation with the TFR. There appears to be three distinct phases in the last 30 years: In the 1990s, both the TFR and resident population growth declined in tandem. In the 2000s, the TFR continued to decline but resident population growth recovered. This reflected net positive immigration as the number of new citizens and Permanent Residents grew. In this decade, the TFR appears to have stabilised at around 1.2–1.3 while resident population growth fell sharply reflecting the tightening of immigration flows. 2 / 17  BIS central bankers' speeches  The next two slides are a thought experiment. They are not a forecast or prediction but aim to illustrate the implications of having very low resident population growth. First, let us assume that we have zero net immigration starting from this year. The resident working-age population – this is defined as citizens and permanent residents between the ages of 15–64 – will begin to shrink from around 2020. The exact year is not key. What is important to note is that it is not far off. By 2035, the working-age resident population will possibly decline by a cumulative 3.5%. 3 / 17  BIS central bankers' speeches  Second, let us assume zero net increase in foreign workers from now on. The overall labour force will decline gradually from around 2022, driven fundamentally by the shrinking resident labour force. These two assumptions taken together – zero net migration (i.e.
According to 2009 figures, labor force participation rate in developed economies is above 70 percent. This rate is hovering at around 60 percent in Eastern European countries. Although the labor force participation rate has surged by 3 percentage points in Turkey, it still remains low, at 49 percent. We see that the limited increase in this period was mostly attributable to the rising trend of labor force participation among the female population. Government incentives for social security contributions oriented towards newly recruited women and young people, which have been in place since 2009, are very influential in this development. Nevertheless, at 28 percent, the female labor force participation rate in Turkey is very low compared to European countries. While the labor force participation among females with a university degree converges towards the EU average, with a ratio of 71 percent, only 23 in every 100 women with a high school or lower education participate in the labor market. Regulations to be implemented in the labor market in the forthcoming period will contribute to sustainable growth and an increase in employment on a permanent basis. Within this scope, it is essential that:   Flexibility of the labor market should be increased,    Competition within the private sector is promoted,    Pay-roll taxes are reduced, and    Necessary policies for establishing an educated and qualified labor force, which will accommodate private sector requirements, are followed.