ROME: Italy’s unemployment rate was stable at 6.8% in May, national statistics bureau ISTAT reported on Tuesday, noting that a net 17,000 jobs were lost during in the month.

A Reuters survey of 11 analysts had forecast a May jobless rate of 6.9%, which was the previously reported figure for April.

Despite the modest fall in employment in May, in the March-to-May period it was still up by 148,000, or 0.6%, compared with the previous three months, ISTAT said.

Unemployment nears 80% in Gaza, UN agency says

In May, the number of people in work was up by 462,000, or 2.0%, compared with May 2023.