Istat: 57,000 fewer people employed in August 2025 than in July

In August 2025, the number of employed persons, at 24 million 170 thousand, was down from the previous month. Permanent employees (16 million 432 thousand) and fixed-term employees (2 million 516 thousand) decreased, while the number of self-employed grew (5 million 223 thousand). Employment, on the other hand, increased compared to August 2024 (+103 thousand employed in one year), due to the growth in permanent employees (+208 thousand) and the self-employed (+139 thousand) and the decrease in fixed-term employees (-245 thousand). On a monthly basis, the employment rate dropped to 62.6%, the unemployment rate was stable at 6.0% and the inactivity rate rose to 33.3%. ISTAT took the snapshot of the labour market trend in its report on the employed and unemployed in August 2025 (provisional data).

The decrease in the number of employed persons (-0.2%, equal to -57,000) involves men, women, employees (permanent and fixed-term) and all those under 50 years of age; the number of employed persons, on the other hand, grows among the self-employed and among those aged 50 and over. The employment rate dropped to 62.6% (-0.2 points).

In August, the number of employed persons over 50 reached 10 million 252 thousand, or 42.42% of the total employed persons (24 million 170 thousand). This is what emerges from the ISTAT flash statistics tables on the employed and unemployed in August, according to which for the employed in this age group there was an increase of 69 thousand units over the month and 514 thousand over the year. For workers under 50 there was a drop of 414,000 over the year. The figure is related to demographic trends and the tightening of access to early retirement.

The increase in the number of jobseekers (+0.4 %, i.e. +7 thousand) concerns only men and 25-49 year-olds, while among women and in the other age groups the number of unemployed persons decreases. The unemployment rate is stable at 6.0%, the youth unemployment rate rises to 19.3% (+0.6 points).

The growth in the number of inactive persons between the ages of 15 and 64 (+0.5%, i.e. +60,000) affects men, women and 15-34 year-olds; among those aged 35 and over, the number of inactive persons is instead decreasing. The inactivity rate rose to 33.3% (+0.2 points).