Unemployment

The Unemployment Rate released by the National Institute of Statistics is the number of unemployed workers divided by the total civilian labor force. It is a leading indicator for the Italian economy. If the rate is up, it indicates a lack of expansion within the Italian labor market. As a result, a rise leads to weakening in the economy. Normally, a decrease in the figure is seen as positive (or bullish) for the Euro, while an increase is seen as negative (or bearish).