Employed and unemployed (provisional data)

In March 2024, compared to the previous month, the employed and inactive people increased, while the unemployed decreased.

Employment is growing (+0.3%, equal to +70 thousand units) for men and women, for employees and self-employed and for all age groups with the exception of 35-49 year olds who recorded a decline. The employment rate rose to 62.1% (+0.2 points).

Similarly, the number of people looking for work decreases (-2.8%, equal to -53 thousand units) for both genders and in every age group except for 35-49 year olds. The total unemployment rate fell to 7.2% (-0.2 points), the youth unemployment rate to 20.1% (-2.3 points).

The growth in the number of inactive people (+0.1%, equal to +12 thousand units, between 15 and 64 years old) is observed only for men and those under 50; among those aged at least 50, inactivity decreases. The inactivity rate remained stable at 33.0%.

Comparing the first quarter of 2024 with the fourth quarter of 2023, there was an increase in the employment level of 0.2%, for a total of 56 thousand employed.

The growth in employment, observed in the quarterly comparison, is associated with the decrease in people looking for work (-2.1%, equal to -40 thousand units) and the increase in the inactive (+0.3%, equal to + 40 thousand units).

The number of employed in March 2024 exceeds that of March 2023 by 1.8% (+425 thousand units). The increase involves men, women and all age groups, with the exception of 35-49 year olds due to the negative demographic dynamics: the employment rate, which overall is increasing by 1.0 percentage points, also rises in this age group (+0.6 points) because the decrease in the number of employed 35-49 year olds is less marked than that of the corresponding overall population.

Compared to March 2023, both the number of people looking for work (-7.4%, equal to -148 thousand units) and the number of inactive people between 15 and 64 years old (-1.7%, equal to -213 thousand) fell. .

The comment

In March 2024, employment growth is the effect of the increase in both employees, which reach 18 million 793 thousand, and self-employed workers, equal to 5 million 56 thousand.
The number of employed people – 23 million 849 thousand – is 425 thousand higher than in March 2023, as a result of the increase of 559 thousand permanent employees and 46 thousand self-employed workers, compared to the decrease of 180 thousand fixed-term employees.
On a monthly basis, the employment rate rises to 62.1%, the unemployment rate drops to 7.2%, while the inactivity rate is stable at 33.0%.