Employment decline in may: first negative sign after three months of growth

Employment: a monthly decline but annual growth

Following a period of three consecutive months of growth, employment in Italy recorded a 0.1% decline in May, equivalent to 17,000 fewer jobs compared to April. The monthly employment rate fell to 62.2%. However, on an annual basis, employment increased by 2%, with an addition of 462,000 jobs.

Increase in permanent and self-employed workers

Despite the overall decline, there was an observed increase in the number of permanent employees and self-employed workers. Conversely, temporary contracts saw a decrease. Overall, the number of employed individuals in Italy reached 23,954,000 units in May.

Stability in unemployment rate and increase in inactivity

Also in May, the unemployment rate remained stable at 6.8%, while youth unemployment slightly rose to 20.5% (+0.1%). The inactivity rate recorded a slight increase, rising to 33.1% (+0.1%).