Italy's unemployment rate rose to 5.7% in June, up from 5.3% in May, national statistics bureau ISTAT reported on Thursday. The previously published May figure was revised upward from an initial 5.0%.
The June result exceeded the median forecast of 5.1% from a poll of 10 analysts. ISTAT said the uptick reflected an increase in labour market participation - more people entered the job market to look for work - while the total number of employed people remained unchanged over the month.
Youth unemployment, defined as jobseekers aged 15 to 24, climbed to 18.4% in June from 16.9% in May. The May youth unemployment figure was also revised higher from an originally reported 15.1%.
Looking at short-term trends, employment for the April-to-June quarter rose by 0.5% compared with the January-to-March period, an increase that corresponds to 116,000 additional people in work. On an annual basis, employment was 131,000 higher than in June of the previous year, also representing a 0.5% increase.
The inactivity rate - the share of people neither working nor seeking work - declined to 33.2% in June from 33.5% in May. ISTAT noted this change equated to 103,000 fewer inactive people than in the prior month.
Despite the recent rises in employment, the broader employment rate stood at 62.9% in June, unchanged from May. ISTAT observed that this employment rate remains among the lowest in the euro zone. The agency also reported that employment has continued to grow even as the country has experienced weak economic growth.
The June figures point to a labour market where participation is increasing but headline unemployment has edged up as previously inactive individuals seek work. Employment gains over both the quarter and the year were modest, while the employment rate's position near the bottom of euro-zone peers underscores ongoing structural challenges.