Employment and unemployment (provisional estimates) – December 2024

Rome: In December 2024 the number of employed people remained substantially unchanged, while unemployed persons rose and inactive people decreased.

On a monthly basis, the steadiness of employment was the result of an increase for men and those aged 35-49 and a decrease for women and those aged 15-24, while employment was substantially unchanged for those 25-34 and 50+. Overall, the employment rate fell to 62.3% (-0.1 p.p.).

In the last month, the growth in the number of unemployed persons (+5.8%, +88 thousand) affected both sexes and persons aged 25 and over, while unemployment fell among persons aged 15-24. The unemployment rate rose to 6.2% (+0.3 p.p.), the youth rate fell to 19.4% (-0.1 p.p.).

In December, the number of inactive people decreased (-0.5%, -58 thousand) for men, women and those aged 25-49, while it increased for other age groups. The inactivity rate fell to 33.5% (-0.2 p.p.).

In the fourth 2024 quarter (October-December 2024), with respect to the previous one (July-September 2024), employment increased (+0.1, +27 thousand).

On a quarterly basis, a drop was registered in the number of unemployed persons (-3.7%, -58 thousand) while the number of inactive people aged 15-64 years grew (+0.5%, +59 thousand).

Compared with December 2023, the number of employed persons increased by 1.2% (+274 thousand); the growth affected both sexes and those aged 35 and over, while employment decreased for those aged 15-34.

Over the year, the employment rate showed an increase of 0.3 p.p.

On a yearly basis, the rise of employed people was accompanied by a decrease of unemployed persons (-11.8%, -213 thousand) while the number of inactive persons aged 15-64 increased (+1.4%, +167 thousand).