The number of temporary agency workers in Italy for the month of July was up by 20.9% 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 number of temp workers in July 2017 reached 500,134 compared with 413, 582 in the same period last year. Of the total number of temp workers in July, 8.4% of them worked for an indefinite period, compared to 9.4% in July 2016.

Meanwhile, the total payroll of temporary workers in July increased by 22.0% compared to the same month last year. The number of hours worked in July 2017 increased by 21.9% on an annual basis. Broken down by hours worked per worker, Ebitemp recorded an increase of 0.8% in July compared to last year.

Employment figures from Eurostat showed that the unemployment rate in Italy for July stood at 11.3%.