Still alarming numbers on the Italian labor market, which marks yet another negative record. According to the latest Istat data, the unemployment rate in July it remained stable compared to June, leveling off to 10,7%, the highest figure since 2004 (starting year of the monthly time series). On an annual basis, the jobless rate grew by 2,5 percentage points.
“The dynamics of unemployment – explained the Istat technicians – continues to be growing, the rates of growth of unemployment have been increasing since the last months of 2011”.
The situation is even more serious if we take it as a reference the second quarter of the year, when the raw unemployment number hit the 10,5%, up 2,7 percentage points over the same period last year. This is the highest level since the second quarter of 1999 (11,2%).
As always when it comes to work, the most difficult condition is that of young. The jobless rate among people aged 15-24 last month to 35,3% from 33,9% in June.
“The rate of growth of the youth unemployment rate – explained the Institute of Statistics – is three times higher of the total".
Furthermore, a new record for precarious workers was reached in the second quarter of 2012. There are almost 2,5 million fixed-term contracts: this is the highest level since the second quarter of 1993 both in absolute terms and as a percentage of total employed which reached a peak of 10,7%. Adding the collaborators to the number of fixed-term contracts also leads to the record figure of 3 million temporary workers.
The number of temporary employees, therefore, continues to grow (+4,5% equal to 105 thousand units), but exclusively in part-time positions, involving around two thirds of workers under the age of 35. The growth of precarious work mainly affects agriculture, hotels, restaurants and healthcare.
