Employment and unemployment (provisional)

In January 2020, in comparison with the previous month, employment decreased, inactivity rose and the number of unemployed slightly grew while the unemployment rate remained unchanged.

With respect to the previous month, the estimate of employed people decreased (-0.2%, -40 thousand); the employment rate went down to 59.1% (-0.1 percentage points).

The fall of employment, on a monthly basis, concerned both men and women, people aged 15-34 and over 50, while a rise is observed among 35-49 aged people (+13 thousand).

In the last month the number of unemployed persons slightly grew as result of a growth among women (+2.3%, +27 thousand), people aged 15-24 and over 50, and of a decrease for men (-1.7%, -23 thousand) and people aged 25-49. The unemployment rate remained stable at 9.8%, while the youth rate rose to 29.3% (+0.6 percentage points).

In January inactive people aged 15-64 increased (+0.2%, +20 thousand), the growth concerned both men and women. The inactivity rate rose to 34.4% (+0.1 percentage points).

In comparison with the previous quarter, in the period from November 2019 to January 2020, a slight decrease of employment is registered (-0.1%, -15 thousand) and it concerned both men and women.

In the last three months, the decrease of employment was accompanied by the slight increase of unemployed persons (+0.3%, +7 thousand) and the drop of inactive people aged 15-64 years (-0.2%, -26 thousand).

Compared with January 2019, employment increased by 0.3% (+76 thousand). The growth concerned both men and women, and all age groups, with the exception of people aged 35-49.

On a yearly basis, the rise of employment was accompanied by a fall of unemployed persons (-6.2%, -166 thousand) and inactive people aged 15-64 (-0.4%, -47 thousand).