INPS: employment rate at an all-time high (63 per cent) but vulnerabilities and the gender gap remain
Index remains below the European average
(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - ‘The Italian labour market has undergone a profound and complex transformation in recent years, marked by a significant recovery in employment levels following the crisis caused by the pandemic, but also by persistent elements of structural fragility’. This is highlighted in the 25th INPS Annual Report, presented this morning to the Chamber of Deputies. ‘In the most recent period,’ the report states, ‘employment has exceeded pre-health crisis levels, reaching new all-time highs in official statistics both in absolute terms (over 24 million people on average per year) and in terms of the employment rate (63 per cent). This result has been driven primarily by permanent salaried employment, which has established itself as the main driver of growth, following an initial post-pandemic phase characterised by a recovery in temporary work. However, when analysed in a comparative context, the performance of the Italian labour market continues to show signs of weakness. The employment rate, whilst at an all-time high, remains lower than that of the major European economies and is accompanied by still high levels of inactivity, particularly among women and in the southern regions. The persistent gender gap, although narrowing, remains significant and is one of the main factors limiting the full utilisation of the available labour potential.’
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