The numbers on unemployment in Italy are still worsening, returning to the record levels of a few years ago. The jobless rate rose to 8,9% in December, up 0,1% from November and 0,8% year over year. And the highest figure since January 2004, when Istat started recording the monthly historical series. If we take into consideration the quarterly historical series, however, to find such a high unemployment rate we have to go back to the third quarter of 2001.
I Istat technicians they explained that last December "there was a substantial deterioration in the labor market, above all due to an increase in male unemployment". The number of unemployed reached 2.243.000, up by 10,9% on an annual basis (221 units) and by 0,9% compared to November (20 units). The increase is due "exclusively to the male component".
La unemployment among men it grew by 5,1% compared to November and by 15,1% on an annual basis. The male employment rate stands at 67,1%, the lowest figure since the first quarter of 1999, while the male unemployment rate rises to 8,4%, the highest figure ever since the first quarter of 1999. Instead, it decreases the number of women unemployed compared to November (-3,9%), while it increased (+6,2%) in trend terms.
As for the youngalmost one in three is unemployed. In December, the jobless rate between the ages of 15 and 24 stood at 31%, down by 0,2% compared to November. On an annual basis, the figure increased by as much as 3%.
The employment rate remains stable, standing at 56,9%. The number of employed persons remains substantially unchanged (22,903 million) compared to November, "in the presence of a decline in the male component and an increase in the female component". In comparison with the previous year, employment decreased by 0,1% (23.000 fewer workers).
Inactive people aged between 15 and 64 decreased by 0,2% compared to the previous month. The inactivity rate stands at 37,5%, down by 0,1 percentage points in quarterly terms.
