---
source: National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT)
url: https://www.istat.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Employment-and-unemployment_202603.pdf
document_type: pdf
date_retrieved: 2026-04-30
period: March 2026
parent_publication: Employment and unemployment (provisional estimates)
indicators_covered: [Unemployment Rate, Employment Rate, Youth Unemployment Rate, Inactivity Rate]
---

# Employment and unemployment, March 2026

**Release date:** 30 April 2026 | Provisional estimates based on >19,500 households

## Key figures

- **Unemployment rate:** 5.2% (−0.1 p.p. from February; −1.1 p.p. from March 2025)
- **Youth unemployment rate (aged 15–24):** 18.1% (+0.6 p.p. from February)
- **Employment rate (aged 15–64):** 62.4% (unchanged from February)
- **Inactivity rate (aged 15–64):** 34.1% (+0.1 p.p.)

## Monthly change (March 2026 vs February 2026)

Employment fell by 12,000 (−0.1%) driven by women (−23,000) and younger workers (15–24, −34,000) and those aged 35–49 (−246,000 year-on-year); it increased among men (+11,000) and those aged 25–49 and 50+.

Unemployment decreased by 38,000 (−2.8%) across both sexes and most age groups, with the rate falling to 5.2% from 5.3%.

The number of inactive people aged 15–64 grew by 46,000 (+0.4%), mainly among women (+27,000) and younger (15–24) and older (50+) cohorts.

## Quarterly (Q1 2026 vs Q4 2025)

- Employment increased by 28,000 (+0.1%) over the quarter.
- Unemployment decreased by 114,000 (−7.9%).
- Inactivity rose by 108,000 (+0.9%).

## Year-on-year (March 2026 vs March 2025)

- Employment down 30,000 (−0.1%).
- Unemployment down 304,000 (−18.7%).
- Inactivity up 351,000 (+2.9%).

Unemployment rate improved by 1.1 percentage points year-on-year.

## Table: Employment, unemployment and inactivity rates by sex (March 2026, seasonally adjusted)

|                     | Employment rate | Unemployment rate | Inactivity rate |
|---------------------|----------------|-------------------|-----------------|
| **Males**           | 70.8%          | 4.7%              | 25.5%           |
| **Females**         | 53.8%          | 5.8%              | 42.7%           |
| **Total**           | 62.4%          | 5.2%              | 34.1%           |

Monthly changes: Total unemployment rate −0.1 p.p.; quarterly change (Jan–Mar) −0.4 p.p.; yearly change −1.1 p.p.

## Table: Population by employment status (March 2026, seasonally adjusted, thousands)

|           | Employed |  | Unemployed |  | Inactive (15–64) |  |
|----------- |---------:|--|-----------:|--|-----------------:|--|
|           |   Mar26  |Δ%|    Mar26   |Δ%|            Mar26 |Δ%|
| **Males** |   13,843 |+0.1|        685 |−4.2|           4,761 |+0.4|
| **Females**|   10,280 |−0.2|        638 |−1.3|           7,891 |+0.3|
| **Total** |   24,124 |−0.1|      1,323 |−2.8|          12,652 |+0.4|

Δ% = change from previous month (February 2026)

## Youth unemployment (aged 15–24)

Youth unemployment rate: 18.1% (+0.6 p.p. from February; −2.8 p.p. from March 2025). Youth unemployment ratio: 3.6% (flat from February, −1.4 p.p. YoY).

## Methodology note

Monthly estimates are provisional, based on the first available sample (>19,500 households, >39,000 individuals) and are released approximately 30 days after the reference month. Quarterly estimates, produced about 60 days after quarter-end, are considered final and revise the monthly non-seasonally-adjusted figures. Seasonally-adjusted series are updated monthly (partial concurrent approach) and revised every January with new seasonal adjustment models.

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*Source: ISTAT, “Employment and unemployment (provisional estimates) – March 2026”, published 30 April 2026.*