The unemployment rate in Italy ticked down to 5.0% in May 2026 from 5.1% in April, slightly below market expectations of 5.1%. This was the lowest level since the current data series began in 2004, as the number of unemployed individuals decreased by 22 thousand month-on-month to 1.28 million, which affected men, women, fixed-term employees, and all age groups except those aged 50 and over. The employment rate edged down to 63.0% from a record high of 63.1%, with the number of employed persons dropping by 22 thousand to 24.34 million. Italy’s employment rate remained among the lowest in the eurozone. The inactivity rate rose to 33.6% from a six-month low of 33.45%. Meanwhile, the youth unemployment rate, measuring jobseekers between 15 and 24 years old, declined to a new record low of 15.1% in May from 16.4% in April. source: National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT)

Unemployment Rate in Italy decreased to 5 percent in May from 5.10 percent in April of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Italy averaged 9.25 percent from 1983 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 13.30 percent in November of 2014 and a record low of 5.00 percent in May of 2026. This page provides the latest reported value for - Italy Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Italy Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on July of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Italy decreased to 5 percent in May from 5.10 percent in April of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Italy is expected to be 5.20 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Italy Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 5.50 percent in 2027 and 5.60 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-05-29 08:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Apr 5.1% 5.2% 5.3% 5.4%
2026-07-02 08:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
May 5% 5.1% 5.1% 5.1%
2026-07-30 09:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Jun 5% 5.20%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Employed Persons 24336.30 24358.41 Thousand May 2026
Employment Rate 63.00 63.10 percent May 2026
Full Time Employment 15819.00 15933.00 Thousand Mar 2026
Job Vacancy Rate 1.60 1.70 percent Dec 2025
Labor Force Participation Rate 66.40 66.50 percent May 2026
Labour Costs 113.00 111.70 points Mar 2026
Part Time Employment 3032.00 2966.00 thousand Mar 2026
Productivity 98.34 98.34 points Mar 2026
Unemployed Persons 1278.28 1300.36 Thousand May 2026
Unemployment Rate 5.00 5.10 percent May 2026
Wage Growth 2.50 2.40 percent May 2026
Wages in Manufacturing 114.60 114.60 points May 2026
Youth Unemployment Rate 15.10 16.40 percent May 2026


Italy Unemployment Rate
In Italy, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
5.00 5.10 13.30 5.00 1983 - 2026 percent Monthly
SA

News Stream
Italy Jobless Rate Drops to 5% in May
The unemployment rate in Italy ticked down to 5.0% in May 2026 from 5.1% in April, slightly below market expectations of 5.1%. This was the lowest level since the current data series began in 2004, as the number of unemployed individuals decreased by 22 thousand month-on-month to 1.28 million, which affected men, women, fixed-term employees, and all age groups except those aged 50 and over. The employment rate edged down to 63.0% from a record high of 63.1%, with the number of employed persons dropping by 22 thousand to 24.34 million. Italy’s employment rate remained among the lowest in the eurozone. The inactivity rate rose to 33.6% from a six-month low of 33.45%. Meanwhile, the youth unemployment rate, measuring jobseekers between 15 and 24 years old, declined to a new record low of 15.1% in May from 16.4% in April.
2026-07-02
Italy Jobless Rate Ticks Down to 5.1% in April
The unemployment rate in Italy edged down to 5.1% in April 2026 from 5.2% in March, below market expectations of 5.3%. This marked the lowest level since the current data series began in 2004, as the number of unemployed individuals fell by 18 thousand month-on-month to 1.31 million, with declines recorded among both men and women and across all age groups except those aged 35–49. The employment rate rose to 63.1% from 62.7% in each of the previous three months, with the number of employed persons rising by 123 thousand to a record 24.34 million. Despite the increase, the country's employment rate remained among the lowest in the euro zone. The inactivity rate decreased to 33.4%, the lowest in six months, from 33.7% a month ago. Meanwhile, the youth unemployment rate, measuring jobseekers between 15 and 24 years old, fell back to a record low of 16.9% from 17.7% in March.
2026-05-29
Italy Jobless Rate Falls to 5.2% in March
The unemployment rate in Italy fell to 5.2% in March 2026 from an upwardly revised 5.4% in February, slightly below market expectations of 5.3%. The number of unemployed individuals dropped by 38 thousand month-on-month to 1.32 million, with decreases observed across both genders and most age groups, except for those aged 15–24. The employment rate remained steady at 62.4%, with the number of employed persons falling by just 12 thousand to 24.12 million. The country’s employment rate continues to rank among the lowest in the euro zone. Meanwhile, the youth unemployment rate, measuring jobseekers between 15 and 24 years old, rose to 18.1% in March from a record low of 17.6% in February.
2026-04-30