The unemployment rate in Italy fell to 5.2% in March 2026 from an upwardly revised 5.4% in February, slightly below market expectations of 5.3%. The number of unemployed individuals dropped by 38 thousand month-on-month to 1.32 million, with decreases observed across both genders and most age groups, except for those aged 15–24. The employment rate remained steady at 62.4%, with the number of employed persons falling by just 12 thousand to 24.12 million. The country’s employment rate continues to rank among the lowest in the euro zone. Meanwhile, the youth unemployment rate, measuring jobseekers between 15 and 24 years old, rose to 18.1% in March from a record low of 17.6% in February. source: National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT)

Unemployment Rate in Italy decreased to 5.20 percent in March from 5.40 percent in February of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Italy averaged 9.27 percent from 1983 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 13.30 percent in November of 2014 and a record low of 5.20 percent in January of 2026. This page provides the latest reported value for - Italy Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Italy Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on May of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Italy decreased to 5.20 percent in March from 5.40 percent in February of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Italy is expected to be 5.90 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Italy Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 6.00 percent in 2027 and 5.90 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-04-01 08:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Feb 5.3% 5.2% 5.3% 5.1%
2026-04-30 08:30 AM
Unemployment Rate
Mar 5.2% 5.4% 5.3% 5.4%
2026-05-29 08:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Apr 5.2%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Employed Persons 24123.82 24136.22 Thousand Mar 2026
Employment Rate 62.40 62.40 percent Mar 2026
Full Time Employment 15933.00 15793.00 Thousand Dec 2025
Job Vacancy Rate 1.60 1.70 percent Dec 2025
Labor Force Participation Rate 65.90 66.00 percent Mar 2026
Labour Costs 111.60 111.30 points Dec 2025
Part Time Employment 2966.00 3041.00 thousand Dec 2025
Productivity 98.33 98.09 points Dec 2025
Unemployed Persons 1322.51 1360.68 Thousand Mar 2026
Unemployment Rate 5.20 5.40 percent Mar 2026
Wage Growth 2.40 2.70 percent Mar 2026
Wages in Manufacturing 114.50 114.10 points Mar 2026
Youth Unemployment Rate 18.10 17.60 percent Mar 2026


Italy Unemployment Rate
In Italy, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
5.20 5.40 13.30 5.20 1983 - 2026 percent Monthly
SA

News Stream
Italy Jobless Rate Falls to 5.2% in March
The unemployment rate in Italy fell to 5.2% in March 2026 from an upwardly revised 5.4% in February, slightly below market expectations of 5.3%. The number of unemployed individuals dropped by 38 thousand month-on-month to 1.32 million, with decreases observed across both genders and most age groups, except for those aged 15–24. The employment rate remained steady at 62.4%, with the number of employed persons falling by just 12 thousand to 24.12 million. The country’s employment rate continues to rank among the lowest in the euro zone. Meanwhile, the youth unemployment rate, measuring jobseekers between 15 and 24 years old, rose to 18.1% in March from a record low of 17.6% in February.
2026-04-30
Italy Jobless Rate Picks Up to 5.3%
The unemployment rate in Italy edged up to 5.3% in February 2026 from an upwardly revised 5.2% in January, which was the lowest level on record. The latest figure came in line with market expectations. The number of unemployed individuals rose by 36 thousand month-on-month, reaching 1.36 million. Meanwhile, the employment rate fell to 62.4% from 62.6%, with the number of employed persons falling by 29 thousand to 24.15 million. The drop affected both permanent and temporary employees, while the number of self-employed workers increased. The country’s employment rate remained among the lowest in the euro zone. Meanwhile, the youth unemployment rate, measuring jobseekers between 15 and 24 years old, dropped to a record low of 17.6% in February from 18.5% in January. The inactivity rate held steady at 33.9%.
2026-04-01
Italy Jobless Rate Falls to Record Low
The unemployment rate in Italy decreased to 5.1% in January 2026, following a downwardly revised 5.5% in December 2025, below market forecasts of 5.6% and marking the lowest level on record. The number of unemployed individuals dropped by 99 thousand from a month earlier to 1.305 million. Meanwhile, the employment rate rose to 62.6% from 62.4%, with the economy adding 80 thousand jobs during the month. Job gains were concentrated among men and across all age groups except those aged 15-24. In addition, the youth unemployment rate, measuring jobseekers between 15 to 24 years old, fell to an eleven-month low of 18.9% in January from 20.9% in the previous month. The inactivity rate edged higher to 33.9% from 33.8%.
2026-03-04