Unemployment down to 10.4%, youth 30.8%

(ANSA) - Rome, August 31 - Italian unemployment fell 0.4 percentage points to 10.4% in July, ISTAT said Friday.
    It thus returned to the level it was in March 2012, the statistics agency said.
    Youth unemployment fell 1.0 points to 30.8%, its lowest since October 2011.
    Italian employment fell by 28,000 units or 0.1% in July over June, ISTAT said Friday.
    In June there had been a 41,000 unit fall, the statistics agency said.
    The fall is wholly in the women's sector, ISTAT said, and concentrated among people aged 15-49.
    Long-term steady job holders were down 44,000 while temps and self-employed workers were both up 8,000.
    The number of inactive people in Italy rose 0.7% or by 89,000 in the month between June and July, ISTAT said Friday.
    The rise regarded both women, up 73,000, and men, up 16,000, the statistics agency said.
    The inactivity rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 34.3%, ISTAT said.
    But inactivity fell over the year to "just above the all-time low recorded in June," it said.