Economy is picking up, ministry says

(ANSA) - Rome, February 10 - Data on industrial production in Italy in 2015 "confirmed that the economy is recovering", the economy ministry said Wednesday, commenting the 1% growth on 2014 recorded by national statistics agency Istat.
    Industrial production in 2013 fell 3.2% on 2012 while the downturn recorded in 2014 from 2013 was just 0.5% with a 0.2% month-on-month growth in December 2014, the ministry said, concluding that "the recovery trend is confirmed in 2015".
    However, consumers' groups Federconsumatori and Adusbef said data on industrial production showed that "the grave crisis that has stifled our economic system over the last few years is not over".
    The presidents of Federconsumatori and Adusbef, respectively Rosario Trefiletti and Elio Lannutti, said the key is employment, stressing that without new jobs the economy will not fully recover.
    In November last year, unemployment hit a three-year low of 11.3%, according to preliminary labor market data from Istat national statistics agency published last month. photo: Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan