Unemployment claims down 15.5% in March - update

(ANSA) - Rome, May 18 - Unemployment claims in Italy dropped to 118,786 in March, down 15.5% on the 140,571 of the same month last year, pensions and social security agency INPS said Monday. The agency added that successful claims for another benefit, the CIG payment for employees who have been temporarily laid off or had their hours cut by firms in financial difficulty, were down 36.9% in April compared to the same month in 2014. It said it authorized CIG payments for 61 million work hours last month.