Labour market - Q1 2026

The labour input, as measured by hours worked, increases by 0.3% compared to the previous quarter and by 1% compared to the first quarter of 2025. In the same period GDP increases by 0.3% quarter-on-quarter and by 0.8% year-on-year.

The number employed persons reaches 24 million 207 thousand and increases compared with the fourth quarter of 2025 (+67 thousand, +0.3%). This increase is driven by growth in fixed-term employees (+9 thousand, +0.3%) and, above all, self-employed workers (+72 thousand, +1.4%), which more than offsets the slight decline in permanent employees (-13 thousand, -0.1%). The number of unemployed people decreases (-110 thousand, -7.6% over three months), while the number of inactive people aged 15–64 increases (+44 thousand, +0.4%). After seasonal adjustment, the employment rate rises to 62.7% (+0.2 percentage points), the unemployment rate falls to 5.3% (-0.4 percentage points), and the inactivity rate rises to 33.7% (+0.1 percentage points). According to the provisional data for April 2026, compared with the previous month, the increase in the number of employed persons (+0.5%) and in the employment rate (+0.3 percentage points) is associated with a decrease in both the unemployment rate (-0.1 percentage points) and the inactivity rate for people aged 15–64 (-0.3 percentage points).

On a year-on-year basis, the number of people in employment continues to increase, although at a slower pace (+50 thousand, +0.2%). This growth only affects self-employed workers (+4.7% over one year), while the number of employees declines, both among fixed-term employees (-4.2%) and permanent employees (-0.5%). In the first quarter of 2026, the number of unemployed people continues to decrease more strongly (-394 thousand, -22.4% over one year), while the number of inactive people aged 15–64 continues to increase (+320 thousand, +2.6%). The rates follow the same trend: the employment rate rises to 62.5% (+0.1 percentage points), the unemployment rate falls to 5.4% (-1.5 percentage points), and the inactivity rate reaches 33.8% (+1.0 percentage points).

On the enterprise side, total jobs grow by 0.5% quarter-on-quarter, slightly higher for full-time (+0.5%) compared to part-time employees (+0.4%), bringing the share of total jobs that are part-time to 28.8% (-0.1 percentage points). Year-on-year total jobs increase by 1.5%, driven by an increase of 1.6 for full-time and 1.3 for part-time, implying a small decrease in the share of part-time. Temporary employment agency jobs start falling again recording a 0.3% decrease on a quarterly basis and a 0.6% decline on an annual basis. On call-jobs record a new significant increase both quarter-on-quarter (+3.1%) and year-on-year (+8.7%). Per capita hours worked decrease compared to the previous quarter (-0.3%) but increase relative to the first quarter of 2025 (+0.1%). The use of short-time working allowances decreases to 7.7 hours per 1,000 hours worked (-0.3 hours per 1,000 hours worked with respect to the first quarter 2025). The job vacancy rate stands at 1.7%, decreasing both compared to the previous quarter (-0.1%) and to the first quarter of 2025 (-0.4%). On a quarterly basis, total labour cost increases by 0.3%, as in its two components, wages and social contributions. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, labour cost increase is still significant, equal to 2.9% due to a growth of wages equal to 2.5% and a new significant rise in social contributions, equal to 4.2%.

The Italian Methodological note shows the confidence intervals of sample estimates of the main not-seasonally adjusted indicators of labour supply and demand.