Italy's unemployment drops to lowest level since 2012: ISTAT

ROME, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Unemployment in Italy was 11 percent in November, the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) stated on Tuesday.

The jobless rate decreased by 0.1 percent over the previous month, and by 1.0 percent compared to Nov. 2016, marking the lowest level since Sept. 2012.

Unemployment among young people aged 15-24 was 32.7 percent, dropping by 1.3 percent against October, and by 7.2 percent on an annual basis, according to the statistical office. The youth rate was the lowest since Jan. 2012.

Working people were also on the rise: the employment rate grew to 58.4 percent from 58.2 percent in October, and by 0.9 percent on an annual basis. Such increase involved both genders and all groups of age, but people between 35 and 49, ISTAT said.

The employment rate among women reached a record high of 49.2 percent.

In terms of numbers, some 23.18 million people overall had a job in November, with an increase of 65,000 units over Oct. and of 345,000 units over the same month in 2016.

The growth was linked to an increase in employees -- both permanent and fix-term contacts -- while self-employed people dropped slightly.

The total number of people in employment in Nov. was the highest since ISTAT began its statistical series in 1977.

According to ISTAT, the inactivity rate was 34.3 percent, down by 0.1 point over the previous month, and by 0.3 percent against Nov. 2016. Enditem