Employment and unemployment (provisional estimates) - March 2024

In March 2024 the number of both employed and inactive people rose, while unemployed persons fell.

On a monthly basis, the increase in employment (+0.3%, +70 thousand) affected both men and women and all age goups, with the exception of those aged 35 to 49, for whom employment fell. Overall, the employment rate rose to 62.1% (+0.2 p.p.).

In the last month, the decrease in the number of unemployed persons (-2.8%, -53 thousand) also involved both genders and all age groups, except those aged 35 to 49. The unemployment rate fell to 7.2% (-0.2 p.p.), the youth rate to 20.1% (-2.3 p.p.).

In March, the increase in the number of inactive people aged 15 to 64 (+0.1%, +12 thousand) concerned men and people under 50, while inactivity fell among those aged 50 and over. The inactivity rate remained unchanged at 33.0%.

In the period January-March 2024, with respect to the previous quarter (October-December 2023), employment increased (+0.2, +56 thousand).

On a quarterly basis, a drop was registered for unemployed persons (-2.1%, -40 thousand) while the number of inactive persons aged 15-64 years increased (+0.3%, +40 thousand).

Compared with March 2023, the number of employed persons rose by 1.8% (+425 thousand), the growth concerned both genders and all age groups except 35-49 years; the employment rate showed an increase of 1.0 p.p.

On a yearly basis, the rise of employed people was accompanied by a fall of both unemployed people (-7.4%, -148 thousand) and inactive persons aged 15-64 (-1.7%, -213 thousand).