Italy's unemployment rate dipped to 7.8% in November from an upwardly revised 7.9% the month before, while the number of those in employment also fell, data showed on Monday.

October's jobless rate was previously put at 7.8%.

Italy's overall employment rate, one of the lowest in the euro zone, fell to 60.3% in November from a previous 60.4%. However, in the three months to November employment was up by 27,000 compared with the June-to-August period.

Compared with November 2021, employment was also up by 278,000 or 1.2%, ISTAT said.

In November, the youth unemployment rate, measuring job-seekers between 15 and 24 years old, fell to 23.0% from a downwardly revised 23.6% the month before.

The economy grew by a stronger-than-expected 0.5% in the third quarter of 2022 from the previous three months, data released last month showed, but output is now slowing as firms and households grapple with high energy costs.

The Italian central bank forecasts that the economy grew 3.8% in 2022, but is predicting growth of just 0.4% this year.

ISTAT gave the following data:

NOV OCT SEPT AUG JOBLESS RATE 7.8 7.9r 7.9 8.0r YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE (15-24) 23.0 23.6r 23.8r 22.8r EMPLOYMENT RATE (15-64) 60.3 60.4r 60.2r 60.0r r=revised (Reporting by Crispian Balmer)