In July 2024, Italy’s employment figures reached a new milestone, surpassing 24 million employed individuals for the first time, according to Istat’s latest analysis. The month saw an increase of 56,000 jobs, primarily driven by a rise in self-employed workers, who now total 5.233 million. However, this growth was balanced by a decrease in permanent and temporary employees, which fell to 16.019 million and 2.757 million, respectively. Compared to July 2023, there was a significant overall increase of 490,000 jobs.
The employment rate in July 2024 climbed to 62.3%, while the inactivity rate also rose to 33.3%. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate dropped to 6.5%. This month saw growth in employment and inactivity, coupled with a decrease in unemployment across most demographic groups, although there was a decline in employment among those aged 25-34 and among employees.
Looking at the broader period from May to July 2024 compared to the previous quarter, there was a 0.3% increase in employment, amounting to 83,000 additional workers. This rise was accompanied by a 4.5% reduction in the number of job seekers and a 0.5% increase in inactive individuals. Over the past year, the employment rate has risen by 1 percentage point, with a notable decline in the number of job seekers and a slight increase in inactivity among the working-age population.
