Italy's unemployment rate dropped
to 11% in November, down from 11.1% in October and the lowest
level since September 2012, ISTAT said on Tuesday.
The national statistics agency said the jobless rate was down
one percentage point with respect to November 2016.
It said 2,855,000 people were unemployed, 18,000 fewer than
in October and 243,000 fewer than November 2016.
ISTAT said the unemployment rate for 15-to-24-year-olds who
are actively on the labour market dropped to 32.7% in November,
down 1.3 percentage points on October and 7.2 points lower than
in the same month in 2016.
The agency said it was the lowest level since January 2012.
It said the employment rate for young people in this age
group was 17.7%, up 0.5 of a percentage point with respect to
October and up 1.4 points compared to November 2016.
ISTAT reported that 23.183 million people were in employment
in Italy in November, an increase of 65,000 compared to October
and of 345,000 with respect to the same month in 2016.
The agency said it was the highest level since the start of
the statistical series in 1977.
It said the employment rate for 15-64-year-olds was 58.4%, up
0.2 of a percentage point on October and 0.9 of a point on
November 2016.
The employment rate, unlike the absolute figure, is still
below the maximum level, reached in 2008, when it was 0.5 of a
point higher.
ISTAT said the employment rate for women had reached an
all-time high of 49.2%.
Premier Paolo Gentiloni, a member of the centre-left
Democratic Party, welcomed the data.
"#Labour. In November the number of employed people reached
the highest level in 40 years," Gentiloni said via Twitter.
"And youth unemployment is down too. Better can be done and
must be done. Commitment and seriousness are needed more than
ever, certainly not a pinwheel of illusions".
Italy is holding a general election on March 4
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