Italy Jobless Rate Rises to 15-Month High

2026-10-01 08:19 By Judith Sib-at 1 min. read

The unemployment rate in Italy rose to 6.2% in August 2026 from an upwardly revised 6.0% in July, exceeding market expectations of 5.7%.

This was the highest jobless rate since May 2025, as the number of unemployed people increased 3.1%, or 48,000, to 1.59 million, with increases recorded among both men and women and across all age groups.

Meanwhile, the employment rate edged down to 63.0% from 63.1% in each of the previous four months, with the number of employed people falling by just 5,000 to 24.35 million.

The decline reflected fewer fixed-term employees, self-employed workers, and employed people aged 25-34 and 35-49, partly offset by increases in permanent employees and those aged 50 and over.

The youth unemployment rate, measuring jobseekers aged 15-24, climbed to 20.3%, the highest since September 2025, from 19.7% in the previous month.

Meanwhile, the inactivity rate ticked down to 32.7% from 32.8% in July and June.



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Italy Jobless Rate Rises to 15-Month High
The unemployment rate in Italy rose to 6.2% in August 2026 from an upwardly revised 6.0% in July, exceeding market expectations of 5.7%. This was the highest jobless rate since May 2025, as the number of unemployed people increased 3.1%, or 48,000, to 1.59 million, with increases recorded among both men and women and across all age groups. Meanwhile, the employment rate edged down to 63.0% from 63.1% in each of the previous four months, with the number of employed people falling by just 5,000 to 24.35 million. The decline reflected fewer fixed-term employees, self-employed workers, and employed people aged 25-34 and 35-49, partly offset by increases in permanent employees and those aged 50 and over. The youth unemployment rate, measuring jobseekers aged 15-24, climbed to 20.3%, the highest since September 2025, from 19.7% in the previous month. Meanwhile, the inactivity rate ticked down to 32.7% from 32.8% in July and June.
2026-10-01
Italy Jobless Rate Unchanged in July
The unemployment rate in Italy stood at 5.8% in July 2026, marking the highest level since October 2025, remaining unchanged from an upwardly revised 5.8% in June and matching market expectations. The number of jobseekers fell 1.1%, or 17,000, to 1.49 million, with declines among men and most age groups, except those aged 35–49. Meanwhile, the employment rate remained unchanged at 63.2%, as the number of employed people also remained largely unchanged at 24.37 million. Employment increased among men, permanent employees, the self-employed and those aged 35–49, while falling among women, temporary employees and other age groups. The youth unemployment rate, measuring jobseekers aged 15 to 24, rose to 18.9% from 18.7%. The inactivity rate remained unchanged at 32.8%.
2026-09-01
Italy Jobless Rate at 7-Month High
The unemployment rate in Italy rose to 5.7% in June 2026 from an upwardly revised 5.3% in May, exceeding market expectations of 5.1%. This marked the highest level since November 2025, as the number of unemployed individuals increased by 97 thousand from the previous month to a seven-month high of 1.46 million. Meanwhile, the employment rate remained unchanged at 62.9%, with the number of employed persons edging higher by 1 thousand to 24.31 million. Temporary employees increased by 91 thousand from the previous month, while permanent and self-employed workers declined by 46 thousand and 44 thousand, respectively. The youth unemployment rate, measuring jobseekers aged 15 to 24, advanced to 18.4% in June from a record low of 16.9% in May. The inactivity rate edged lower to 33.2% from 33.5%.
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