ROME – The unemployment rate of youths between 15 and 24 years of age reached 43 percent in May, announces Italy’s national statistical agency, Istat-a staggering total of 3,222,000 are unemployed, 127 thousand more than the previous year.

 “It is clear that 2014 risks to be a heavy year for employment,” says Susanna Camusso, general secretary of Cgil (General Italian Federation of Labour). “It is a year in which entire areas in the country are being left feeling abandoned – I am referring to Southern Italy – thus it is necessary to initiate policies that reconsider employment as fundamental.”

 The number of those seeking employment has also risen 0.8 percent in comparison to April, with around 26 thousand more unemployed people. Even more shocking is the number of unemployed females, which has shown the biggest increase since January 2004, with a peak of 13.8 percent in May 2013.

 “The promises of the government do not reassure us,” continues Ms Camusso. In fact, the general secretary of Cgil doubts that any stability law achieved by the government will bring benefits to the workers. Ms Camusso also argues that, apart from finding new resources, the government has to guarantee that there will be no restrictions to layoffs and work mobility until new social safety nets are established.

 “The social safety nets have to be built according to the plans and the perspective of the improvement of the companies.” The general secretary further explains that if nothing is done about it, “the phenomenon will multiply.”