The unemployment rate in Italy rose to 5.7% in June 2026 from an upwardly revised 5.3% in May, exceeding market expectations of 5.1%. This marked the highest level since November 2025, as the number of unemployed individuals increased by 97 thousand from the previous month to a seven-month high of 1.46 million. Meanwhile, the employment rate remained unchanged at 62.9%, with the number of employed persons edging higher by 1 thousand to 24.31 million. Temporary employees increased by 91 thousand from the previous month, while permanent and self-employed workers declined by 46 thousand and 44 thousand, respectively. The youth unemployment rate, measuring jobseekers aged 15 to 24, advanced to 18.4% in June from a record low of 16.9% in May. The inactivity rate edged lower to 33.2% from 33.5%.