Italy was in crisis before the crisis and "continues to be". This was stated by Confindustria in Congiuntura Flash, a monthly analysis by the Study Centre, revealing that the latest estimates speak of zero GDP growth in 2014. The attention is now turned to 2015, the result of which "must be built in the second half of this `year".
“Starting from a standstill – underlines Confindustria – the enterprise is more difficult, but not impossible if you act first on credit, competitiveness and public investments. And if we work even more vigorously on many fronts of reforms, to restore confidence in families and businesses”.
As for the labor market, the number of people employed in Italy remained almost stable in the first two months of the year and fluctuated in the following three: +91 in March, -87 in April and +52 in May.
The unemployment rate stood at 12,6% in May, on the levels of last autumn (12,5% in September). Business expectations on employment for the current quarter are improving. However, they remain negative and reflect a strong uncertainty about the economic prospects (balance of replies to -2,0 from -5,5).
The number of temporary workers, after the decrease in the first months of 2014, is slowly recovering (+0,3% the April-May average over the previous quarter). Its trend usually anticipates that of total employment.
The recovery of the employed, however, will be held back by the still high use of the Cig (equal to 350 thousand work units involved in the second quarter, stable compared to the first) and by the restructuring processes still in progress.
