Turkey's pandemic-era ban on layoffs and a government wage support system, both adopted in early 2020, have expired as most remaining coronavirus restrictions were also lifted, setting the stage for a rise in unemployment.

Both measures aimed to support businesses and registered employees during the Covid-19 pandemic while keeping a lid on the jobless rate, which stood at 13.9 per cent in April.

Economists say lifting of the layoff ban will likely lead to a sharp rise in the number of unemployed as businesses, hard hit by virus-curbing measures, struggle to keep employees, Reuters reports.

The so-called short labour wage system, which partially covered wages of workers whose hours were cut short, had ended at the end of March but was extended again after Turkey re-imposed tighter coronavirus measures.