The number of temporary agency workers in Italy for January 2018 increased by 30% on an annual basis, according to figures from Ebitemp, the bilateral organisation for temporary employment representing employers’ associations and unions.

Ebitemp figures also showed that the total payroll of temporary workers in January increased by 28.7% compared to the same month last year.

Meanwhile, the number of hours worked in January rose by 32.6% on an annual basis. Broken down by hours worked per worker, this figure increased by 1.9% compared to last year.

Data from Eurostat, the statistical agency of the European Union, showed that Italy’s unemployment rate stood at 11.1% in January, the third-highest after Spain and Greece.