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Dinçer commented on the chronic level of unemployment in Turkey and noted that unemployment problems had become much worse after the economic crisis. With regard to the public sector, he said: The fact that existing workers, especially public sector workers, have not become experts in their fields is both creating inefficiencies and hurting our international competitiveness. Thirty-six percent of public sector workers are completely unskilled and 11 percent are incapable of serving the public sector.

Remarking that further investments do not mean further employment, Dinçer noted that the Turkish education system is disconnected from the labor market. He added that the current cooperation between the education system and the business world was not enough.

Dinçer remarked that the highest unemployment rate was for those without a high school diploma, with 57 percent of such job-seekers unable to find unemployment.

He said the economic crisis had spread beyond the economy and into the social lives of citizens and that although growth was expected to restart in 2010, unemployment and other social problems required much more time to recover.

Speaking about the steps that his ministry had taken to solve the unemployment issue, Dinçer highlighted that the treasury would pay the social security premiums of new hires between the ages of 19 and 25 for up to five years.

Responding to questions about a recently vetoed law that would have authorized private employment bureaus to find temporary workers, Dinçer noted that he views these institutions as necessities for Turkey and thinks that they help equalize labor supply and demand as well as providing social security for workers who have never had it.