Italian unemployment rises to 6.2% in August as inactivity falls to 32.7%

Labour market rates and headline shifts

In August 2026, the total number of employed persons in Italy stood at 24,352,000, registering a decrease of 5,000 on the month and an increase of 291,000 compared to August 2025. The national employment rate fell by 0.1 percentage points from July to 63.0%, while remaining 0.6 percentage points higher on an annual basis. At the same time, the number of people looking for work grew by 48,000 month-on-month (a 3.1% rise) and by 129,000 year-on-year (an 8.8% rise), bringing total unemployment to 1,591,000. This entry of job seekers into the labour market lifted the unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points on the month and 0.4 percentage points on the year to 6.2%. Among younger workers aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate climbed by 0.6 percentage points over the month to 20.3%.

Inactivity falls to series low

The increase in active job seekers coincided with a continuing reduction in the inactive population aged between 15 and 64. Inactive individuals totalled 12,124,000 in August 2026, down by 21,000 on the month (a 0.2% decrease) and down by 381,000 compared to twelve months earlier. This reduction brought the national inactivity rate to 32.7%, representing a 0.1 percentage point drop from July and a 0.9 percentage point decrease from August 2025. This 32.7% rate represents the lowest level recorded since the statistical series began in 2004. The monthly decline in inactivity affected male workers and nearly all age brackets, though inactivity rose among individuals aged 35 to 49, while remaining broadly unchanged among female workers.

Employment composition by contract type

Stability in aggregate monthly employment figures concealed contrasting trends across contract types and employment structures. Permanent employees increased to 16,669,000 in August 2026, offsetting declines in both temporary personnel and independent workers. Temporary employees fell to 2,391,000, while self-employed individuals dropped to 5,292,000 on a monthly basis. Over a twelve-month horizon, the net addition of 291,000 workers reflected an increase of 370,000 permanent staff and 78,000 self-employed professionals. These gains offset a decline of 157,000 fixed-term positions over the year.

Demographic shifts and quarterly performance

Older workers continued to expand their presence in the Italian labour market. Employed persons aged 50 and older grew by 48,000 from July and by 367,000 from August 2025, reaching 10,520,000. Workers in this age bracket represented 43.2% of all employed individuals in the country. On a monthly basis, employment fell among workers aged 25 to 34 and 35 to 49, while remaining unchanged for those aged 15 to 24. On an annual basis, employment expanded across men, women, 25-to-34-year-olds, and workers aged 50 and over, while contracting among those aged 15 to 24 and 35 to 49. In the three-month period from June to August 2026, employment grew by 40,000 (0.2%) compared to the March to May period, job seekers grew by 123,000 (8.5%), and inactive individuals fell by 164,000 (1.3%).