Unemployment 12% in December (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, January 31 - Italy's unemployment rate was 12% in December, steady with respect to November, after ISTAT revised latter up from 11.9%, and 0.4 of a percentage point higher than in the same month in 2015, the national statistics agency said on Tuesday.
    The agency said the unemployment rate is at its highest since June 2015, when it was 12.2%. The number of unemployment people stood at 3.103 million, up 9,000 on November and 144,000 on December 2015. The number of people aged 15 to 64 who are not actively on the labour market dropped by 15,000 with respect to November and by 478,000 on December 2015.
    The 'inactively rate', the proportion of people who are not either in work or actively looking for a job, is at a record low of 34.8%. Indeed, the number of people in employment actually rose in December, by 1,000 with respect to November and by 242,000 compared to the same month in 2015, a rise of 1.1%, ISTAT said.
    In December 2016 22.783 million persons were employed, according to seasonally adjusted data. The employment rate stood at 57.3%, flat with respect to November and up 0.7 of a percentage point on December 2015. The unemployment rate for 15-to-24-year-olds who are actively on the labour market went back over the 40% threshold in December, climbing to 40.1%, up 0.2 of a percentage point on November, ISTAT. It is the highest level since June 2015.