Unemployment in Italy jumped 20.6% in the second quarter, over the same three-month period in 2007, lifting the national unemployment rate by a full percentage point to 6.7%, national statistics bureau Istat reported on Monday.
The over 20% hike followed a 13.2% increase in unemployment recorded in the first quarter, Istat added.
Compared to the first quarter of the year, unemployment rose 0.2% in the second quarter, its biggest seasonally adjusted gain in the past two years, Istat said.
The increase in unemployment was the result of more people entering or returning to the job market, Istat explained.
Despite the increase in unemployment, a greater number of people were holding jobs in the second quarter, 1.2% more that the same period last year, Istat observed.
The majority of those finding employment were said to be foreigners from countries which recently joined the European Union while the increase in employment also reflected a rise in part-time contracts, Istat said.
