Employment in 2023 grows by 481 thousand units compared to 2022, thanks above all to permanent employment.
Female employment is growing and the aging of the labor market is confirmed with the over 50 group which, thanks to the demographic trend and the tightening of access to retirement, exceeds 9.4 million employed with an increase of 418 thousand units on 2022 and a doubling compared to the beginning of the historical series in 2004 when there were 4.85 million.
The labor market after the pandemic remains dynamic: the employed overall rise to 23 million 580 thousand, at the highest level since the beginning of the historical series (since 2004) while the unemployed fall below the two million mark to 1 million 947 thousand (-81 thousand ).
The employment rate rises to 61.5% while the unemployment rate falls to 7.7%.
In the South the employment rate rises more than in the rest of the country but the area, with just 48.2% of employed people aged between 15 and 64, remains more than 21 points away from the North which reaches an average rate of 69, 4%.
The differences are evident especially when looking at female employment with rates that vary from 69.4% in Bologna, first in the ranking, and 23.1% in Caltanissetta with over 46 points of distance.
Female employment in Italy overall reaches the record since the beginning of the historical series with 52.5% but is still almost 18 points away from male employment (70.4%) and remains far from the EU average (64, 9% in 2022, latest data available).
And above all it is the result of very different situations at a territorial level with over thirty points of distance between Emilia and Sicily.
The employment data was commented with satisfaction by the Minister of Labour, Marina Calderone, speaking of numbers that are "comforting" about the "direction taken by the government in favor of workers and businesses".
However, Calderone also underlines the critical issues starting from the misalignment between the skills requested by companies and the qualifications of employable workers.
Uil reminds us that "all that glitters is not gold" and that "inequalities and distances at gender and territorial level continue to be present, persistent and evident from reading the data".
The CISL underlines that "good" employment, i.e. permanent employment, is growing, including for women.
Permanent employment marks an increase of 491 thousand positions in 2023 compared to 2022, partly thanks to the fact that people stay in work longer (and the older age groups can generally count on a permanent job) and partly because when the job market is more lively, companies tend to retain workers with a stable contract.
Self-employed workers increased by 62 thousand units, returning above 5 million, while those employed with fixed-term contracts decreased (-73 thousand) and fell below three million.
There are 15 million 570 thousand permanent employees.
Confidence in the possibility of finding work is growing: discouraged people are decreasing and the use of public employment centers is increasing.
When looking for work, the informal channel always prevails with 76.6% of those looking for work turning to relatives and friends but the percentage of those turning to public employment centers also rises (25.8%, + 3.5 points).
The inactive between the ages of 15 and 64 decreased by 468 thousand units while the long-term unemployed, i.e. those who have been looking for work for over 12 months, decreased.
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