Labour, Istat: Unemployment rate rises to 6% in March, youth unemployment to 19% - Inflation stable at 2.2% in Eurozone

In March, the unemployment rate rose to 6.0% (+0.1 points), youth unemployment to 19.0% (+1.6 points). The increase in jobseekers (+2.1%, or +32,000) is observed only for men and those under 50 years of age. This is what ISTAT reports. The drop in the number of inactive persons between the ages of 15 and 64 (-0.1%, equal to -11 thousand units) involves men and those aged 35-49 against an increase among women and in the other age groups, with the exception of those aged 15-24, who register stability. The inactivity rate is unchanged at 32.9%. Compared to March 2024, both the number of job seekers (-11.8%, equal to -208 thousand) and the number of inactive persons (-0.9%, equal to -107 thousand) decreased.

In March, the number of employed persons, at 24 million 307 thousand, fell slightly compared to the previous month. The decrease in employment (-0.1%) amounted to -16 thousand. In the annual comparison, the number of employed exceeded that of March 2024 by 1.9%, equal to +450 thousand units, summarising the growth of permanent employees (+673 thousand) and of the self-employed (+47 thousand), against the decrease in term employees (-269 thousand). This was announced by Istat, releasing provisional data on the employed and unemployed. On a monthly basis, the employment rate, at 63.0%, and the inactivity rate, at 32.9%, are stable.

The month-on-month decrease in employment recorded in March (-0.1%, equal to -16,000) concerned women, the under-35s, fixed-term employees and the self-employed. In the other age groups, among men and among permanent employees, the number of employed grew. ISTAT indicates this. In particular for those under 35 years of age the fall in the employment rate is associated with an increase in the unemployment rate, being particularly marked for 15-24 year olds. Among women, on the other hand, employment and unemployment rates are decreasing (-0.1 points in both cases), against an increase in the inactivity rate (+0.2 points). Among men, the employment (+0.1 points) and unemployment (+0.3 points) rates increased and the inactivity rate decreased (-0.3 points). On a year-on-year basis, for both men and women, the employment rate increased (+0.8 and +1.0 points respectively) and the unemployment rate decreased (-0.3 points among men and -1.7 points among women) and the inactivity rate decreased (-0.6 among men and -0.1 among women).