Is the impact of international tourism demand on the labor underutilization rate consistent in different models? The case of Turkiye

This study investigates the impact of international tourism demand on the labor underutilization rate in Turkiye, covering the period from 2014Q1 to 2025Q1. For this purpose, the consistency between international tourism demand and labor underutilization is examined using seven models, estimated with additional variables that affect the labor underutilization rate. The effects specified in the aim are investigated using the Fractional Frequency Fourier Augmented ARDL (FFFA-ARDL) Bound Test. There are significant cointegration relationships in seven different models. According to the estimated coefficients, a 1% increase in long-run international tourism demand reduces the labor underutilization rate by 0.12%-0.28%. In the short-run, however, this effect is sometimes positive and sometimes negative.