Employment and unemployment (provisional estimates) - March 2023

In March 2023 the number of employed people grew, while unemployed decreased and inactive persons remained stable.

On a monthly basis, the increase of employment (+0.1%, +22 thousand) concerned both men and women and all age groups, with the exception of people aged 25-34, who were in decline. Overall, the employment rate was steady at 60.9%.

In the last month, the decline of unemployed persons (-1.1%, -22 thousand) involved both genders and people over 35 years of age. The unemployment rate dropped to 7.8% (-0.1 p.p.), the youth rate to 22.3% (-0.1 p.p.).

In March the stability of the number of inactive people aged 15 to 64 was the result of a growth among men and people over 50 years of age and of a decrease among women and people aged 15-24 and 35-49. The inactivity rate was stable at 33.8%.

In the period January-March 2023, with respect to the previous quarter (October-December 2022), employment increased (+0.4%, +90 thousand).

In the last three months, a rise was registered for unemployed persons (+0.6%, +12 thousand) while inactive people aged 15-64 years dropped (-1.0%, -125 thousand).

Compared with March 2022, the number of employed persons rose by 1.3% (+297 thousand), the growth concerned both genders and all age groups except 35-49 years; the employment rate showed an increase of 0.9 p.p. .

On a yearly basis, the rise of employed people was accompanied by a decrease of both unemployed persons (-5.1%, -106 thousand) and inactive people aged 15-64 (-2.2%, -281 thousand).