Women aged 50-64 posted the strongest employment gains in Italy from 2022 to 2025, with their employment rate up 5.2% and 458,000 more in work.
Istat-based analysis linked the rise to falling birth rates, population ageing and tighter early-retirement rules, which kept more older women in the labor force.
Younger groups lagged: employment rose 3.2% for women aged 25-34, while it fell by nearly 2% for those aged 15-24; the female employment rate nationally topped 54%.
Regional gains were strongest in Basilicata at 6.3%, followed by Abruzzo at 5.5% and Umbria at 5.2%, all above the 2.9% national increase over the period.