Unemployment back up to record 12.6%, 3.2 million jobless

(ANSA) - Rome, October 31 - Unemployment in recession-battered Italy climbed back up to a record level of 12.6% in September, up 0.1 of a percentage point both on August and on September 2013, Istat said on Friday in its provisional calculation. The unemployment rate had already hit the 12.6% mark several times this year. The national statistics agency said 3.236 million Italians were unemployed in September, the highest level since it started using its current calculation method in 2004. The nominal unemployment figure is 48,000 (1.5%) higher than in August and 58,000 (1.8%) up on the same month in 2013.
    Istat added that the number of people in work was 22.457 million in September, 82,000 (0.4%) up on August and 130,000 (0.6%) up on the same month in 2013. But the jobless total increased nonetheless, as the overall working population grew, thanks to a drop in the number of 15-to-64-year-olds who are "inactive" and not on the labour market.
    The jobless rate among 15-to-24-year-old Italians who are on the labour market was 42.9% in September, Istat said.
    This was 0.8 of a percentage point down on August, but 1.9 higher than in September 2013. Istat said that there were 698,000 unemployed aged 15-to-24 last month - 11.7% of the total for this age range, when one includes in the calculation young people who are in education, training and others who are not actively looking for work.