ROME (dpa-AFX) - Italy's economy expanded at a slightly slower pace in the second quarter, while unemployment rate increased in June to the highest level in seven months, separate reports from the statistical office ISTAT showed Thursday.
Gross domestic product rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent sequentially, following a 0.3 percent expansion in the first quarter, flash data revealed. The expected increase was 0.1 percent. The economy has been expanding since the third quarter of 2025.
The overall expansion was driven by an increase in value added in the services sector and a decrease in agriculture and industry.
On the demand side, there was a positive contribution that came from gross inventories, while a negative contribution came from the net foreign component, the agency said.
On a yearly basis, the economic growth accelerated to 1.0 percent from 0.8 percent.
Separate official data showed that the unemployment rate in the country rose to a 7-month high of 5.7 percent in June from a record low of 5.3 percent in May. The number of unemployed persons increased by 97,000 monthly to 1.458 million in June.
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