Employment is still improving. But the decline in time contracts is a worrying sign

The first comment to the data published yesterday by Istat on employment September can only be of obvious satisfaction. Compared to August, there are 46,000 more employees, there is a sharp decline in inactive people (-86,000) and a slight increase (8,000) in those looking for a job. Therefore, the statistical autumn of work does not appear totally gloomy, also because if we extend the comparison to the last year, the increase in employment is 316 thousand, one third women and two thirds men. The number of under 35s working is growing and the employment rate remains high at 60.2 percent – at least for Italy – also by virtue of the contribution of adverse demographics. Self-employed workers fell by 20,000 units in one month, but the balance remains positive year on year (83,000). However, once the first and necessary reading of the data has been made, it is interesting to deepen some of them, because following those traces we discover much more about what is happening and what is very likely will happen. And on the contradictions of a labor market that too many are used to reading in an ideological and not a factual key.