Youth unemployment rate in Italy 2023, by region

The financial crisis that burst out in 2008, alongside the consequential problems in the labor market and high unemployment rates, affected in particular the south of Italy. Despite an overall improvement of the country’s economic situation recently, some significant differences between the regions can still be observed. When it comes to the unemployment rate, in 2023, Campania, Calabria, and Sicily were the three regions where the share of inhabitants without a job was the highest. 

More than 20 percent of young Italians without a job 

The situation appears even more difficult for workers aged between 15 and 24 years. In 2023, about half of the young citizens from the above-mentioned southern regions did not have a job. Since 2009, the share of young citizens without a job in Italy has increased, reaching its peak in 2014. A steady improvement started in 2015, and in 2023 the rate reached the figure recorded in 2008. 

Youth unemployment in the EU

In August 2023, Italy was the EU Member State with the fifth-highest youth unemployment rate. The ranking was led by Spain, where 27 percent of citizens younger than 25 years did not have a job.