Istat makes available the results of the 2009 average labor force survey. This summary report examines regional data on three key indicators for the analysis of participation in the labour market: employment, unemployment and inactivity rates.
In 2009, the national employment rate in the 15-64 age group was 57.5% . This value was more than 7 percentage points lower than the EU average (64.6%). Between 2008 and 2009, the unemployment rate in Italy rose from 6.7% to 7.8% compared to 8.9% in the EU-27. In comparison with the EU, the lower unemployment rate in Italy is associated with a higher inactivity rate: 37.6% as opposed to an EU average of 28.9%.