Italy’s unemployment rate rose to 6.2% in August 2026, up from an upwardly revised 6.0% in July and above market expectations of 5.7%. This marked the highest level since May 2025. The number of unemployed increased by 3.1% (48,000 people), reaching 1.59 million, with gains recorded among both men and women and across all age groups.
At the same time, the employment rate inched down to 63.0% from 63.1%, where it had held for the previous four months. The number of employed persons slipped by 5,000 to 24.35 million. The decline was driven by fewer fixed-term employees, self-employed workers, and workers aged 25–34 and 35–49, partly offset by growth in permanent employment and in the number of workers aged 50 and over.
The youth unemployment rate (jobseekers aged 15–24) increased to 20.3% in August, the highest reading since September 2025, up from 19.7% in July. Meanwhile, the inactivity rate edged down to 32.7%, from 32.8% in both July and June.
