Italian unemployment reaches new record low of 5.6% – Istat
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Italy’s unemployment rate fell to 5.6% in December, marking the lowest level recorded since the start of comparable data in 2004, according to provisional figures released by the national statistics agency Istat.
The reading was 0.1 percentage points lower than November, which had previously set a record low at 5.7%, indicating a continued, if gradual, improvement in labour market conditions.
Istat reported that 24.142 million people were employed in December, a decline of 20,000 compared with November, but an increase of 62,000 year on year. The employment rate edged down to 62.5%, slipping by 0.1 percentage points from the previous month.
At the same time, the number of people aged 15 to 64 who are not active in the labour market rose by 31,000, pushing the inactivity rate up to 33.7%, also an increase of 0.1 percentage points.
Commenting on the data, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the figures as a positive signal for the economy, noting that unemployment had reached its lowest level in two decades. She said that employment was rising on an annual basis and that more people were entering the labour market, calling the trend “the right direction” and pledging to continue current policy efforts.
While the monthly figures showed some moderation in employment and participation, the overall data point to a labour market that remains historically tight by Italian standards, with unemployment continuing to trend downward despite broader economic uncertainties.
