Unpaid family employee in the agricultural sector in Türkiye: An analysis with quantitive and qualitive data

The aim of this research is to identify the socio-demographic characteristics and working conditions that determine the status of being an unpaid family employee in the agricultural sector in Turkey, particularly focusing on the TR32 region and Denizli province. The study will address two main research questions: The first one, "What are the socio-demographic characteristics and working conditions that determine the status of being an unpaid family employee in the agricultural sector in Turkey and the TR32 region?" and the second, "What are the socio-demographic characteristics and working conditions that determine the status of being an unpaid family employee in the agricultural sector in Denizli province?" The research consists of three main parts, the theoretical framework and research based on quantitive and qualitative approach. The first part explores the concept of unpaid family employee from a theoretical perspective through a literature review. The second part employs quantitative methods, utilizing data from the '2019-2021 Household Labour Force Survey Micro Data Set' and the '2021 Income and Living Conditions Survey Micro Data Set,' to conduct 'Comparative Tables, Multiple and Binary Logistic Regression' analyses. The third part, based on phenomenology, involves face-to-face interviews with thirty participants in Denizli province whose findings are analyzed using content analysis. The percentage of unpaid family employee in the agricultural sector in Türkiye is 81.6%, while in the TR32 Region, it is 73.7%. According to the regression findings, being female, married, having completed primary education (5 years), living in households with more than 4 members, working in the agricultural sector and in workplaces with fewer than 10 employees, and residing in the Anatolia Region are variables that increase the likelihood of being an unpaid family employee. The quantitative and qualitative findings largely correspond to Türkiye, the TR32 Region, and Denizli, except for variables such as weekly working hours and age. According to the qualitative research findings, the reasons for being an unpaid family employee can be attributed to poverty, gender biases, and agricultural support policies. Keywords: Unpaid Family Employee, Unpaid Family Worker, Agriculture, Denizli, TÜİK.