In March, according to Istat, Italy recorded 81 more jobs than in February and the result is all due to the jobs recovered by women. The employment rate thus rose to the historic record of 59,9%, while that of unemployment fell to 8,3%, the 2010 level inactive, i.e. those who do not have a job and are not even looking for one, have dropped, returning to pre-crisis levels, but still represent 34,5%.
Still high there youth unemployment: the under 24s without work are 24,5%. As for precariousness, it has been a historical record since 1977 also for temporary workers: 3 million and 159 thousand, 13,7% of the total.
Precariousness: 97% of the positions recovered are fixed-term
The employment rift caused by Covid in 2020 has almost healed, but only thanks to the precarious work. In two years - between March 2020 and March 2022 - Istat calculates 535 more employed persons: 97% are temporary and just 3% with permanent contracts. We do not know how much of this stable 3% is part-time, but the latest statistical trends indicate it as prevalent and mainly widespread among women. In the South, moreover, involuntary part-time employment soars to 80%.
How do you explain the historical record of employment
Another clarification is needed. The absolute number of employed has returned to pre-crisis levels (albeit with a much higher level of precariousness), while the employment rate is at an all-time high. This asymmetry is explained by the fact that the working-age population has shrunk due to the lack of generational turnover (few young people take over from retirees) and migratory (seasonal flows, due to Covid, have greatly reduced). In three years — from March 2019 to March 2022 — the Italian workforce has shrunk by 600 units, 348 men and 253 women. About one million less under 49 and 400 more over 50: a flow that moves towards the retirement age.
