The unemployment rate stood at 7.5%, down both compared to December 2024 (9.4%) and November 2025 (8.1%), confirming the continued annual decline in unemployment. The number of employed persons reached 4,376,977, reflecting an increase of 102,883 persons (2.4%) compared to the same month of the previous year. On a monthly basis, however, there was a slight decrease of 19,389 persons (-0.4%), a trend partly attributed to seasonal factors.
At the same time, the number of unemployed fell to 354,904, a decrease of 87,842 persons (-19.8%) year-on-year and 31,165 persons (-8.1%) compared to November 2025, highlighting a clear improvement in employment conditions. Notable is the trend among persons outside the labor force under 75 years of age, which reached 3,005,230. On an annual basis, this represents a decrease of 42,763 persons (-1.4%), while on a monthly basis, there was an increase of 48,284 persons (1.6%), potentially reflecting temporary withdrawal from the labor market.
ELSTAT notes that monthly data are regularly updated in accordance with the Labour Force Survey methodology, and the sample is currently being recalibrated based on the final data from the 2021 Population Census, explaining revisions to previous months. Overall, the December figures confirm the positive trajectory of the labor market on an annual basis, despite mild month-to-month fluctuations.
