The unemployment rate in Italy ticked down to 5.0% in May 2026 from 5.1% in April, slightly below market expectations of 5.1%. This was the lowest level since the current data series began in 2004, as the number of unemployed individuals decreased by 22 thousand month-on-month to 1.28 million, which affected men, women, fixed-term employees, and all age groups except those aged 50 and over. The employment rate edged down to 63.0% from 63.1%. with the number of employed persons dropping by 22 thousand to 24.34 million. Despite this slight decline, Italy’s employment rate remained among the lowest in the euro zone. The inactivity rate rose to 33.6% from a six-month low of 33.45%. Meanwhile, the youth unemployment rate, measuring jobseekers between 15 and 24 years old, declined to a new record low of 15.1% in May, from 16.4% in April.