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.

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.

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.