The number of employed individuals, which amounted to 24,217,000 in July, increased in comparison to the previous month, according to provisional data from the Italian Institute of Statistics. Permanent employees (16,448,000) and temporary employees (2,567,000) grew, while the number of self-employed workers fell (5,202,000). Employment also grew compared to July 2024 (by 218,000 in one year), owing to an increase in permanent employees (+351,000) and self-employed workers (+55,000), as well as a drop in temporary employees (-188,000). On a monthly basis, employment and inactivity rates rose to 62.8% and 33.2%, respectively, while unemployment dropped to 6%. The government and the majority are celebrating these figures, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni leading the way. "These are encouraging numbers, which confirm the effectiveness of the measures that have been implemented and encourage us to continue with determination on this path: more opportunities, more jobs, and more growth for Italy", the premier wrote on X. “Numbers don’t lie", as the saying goes, but as usual, the political reading of economic data is not unanimous. "Employment is growing only thanks to the over-50s, the result of a 'never-ending work' policy" carried out by Economy Minister Giorgetti, "through brutal blows on all retirement channels and through tightening pension requirements in general", claims the opposition Five Star Movement.