Employment and unemployment (provisional estimates) - February 2025

In February 2025 the number of employed and inactive people increased, while unemployed people decreased.

On a monthly basis, employment grew among women and all age groups, except for those aged 25-34 for whom, as for men, employment fell. Overall, the employment rate rose to 63.0% (+0.1 p.p.).

In the last month, the decline in the number of unemployed persons (-4.9%, -79 thousand) affected both sexes and all age groups. The unemployment rate fell to 5.9% (-0.3 p.p.), as well as the youth rate, down to 16.9% (-1.4 p.p.).

In February, the number of inactive people increased (+0.3%, +33 thousand) for men and those aged         25-34, while it decreased for women and other age groups, except for those aged 15-24, for whom inactivity remained substantially stable. The inactivity rate rose to 32.9% (+0.1 p.p.).

In the quarter December 2024-February 2025, with respect to the previous one (September-November 2024), employment increased (+0.8%, +199 thousand).

On a quarterly basis, a growth was registered in the number of unemployed persons (+2.0%, +32 thousand) while the number of inactive people aged 15-64 years decreased (-1.7%, -208 thousand).

Compared with February 2024, the number of employed persons increased by 2.4% (+567 thousand); the growth affected both sexes and those aged 15-24 and 50 and over, while employment decreased for the other age groups. Over the year, the employment rate showed an increase of 1.1 p.p. .

On a yearly basis, the rise of employed people was accompanied by a decrease of unemployed persons           (-18.4%, -342 thousand) and of the inactive people aged 15-64 (-0.5%, -60 thousand).