In the first half of 2010, economic activity continued to recover; the pace of growth was fastest in the Centre and North, which had been hardest hit by the crisis.
Exports recorded a robust expansion. Employment stagnated in the South and Islands, while there was weak growth in the rest of the country. The contraction in bank lending to firms eased in the Centre and North; in the South, the moderate growth of the previous months strengthened. Bank lending to households accelerated throughout Italy.
All the main areas reported a halt in the tightening of credit supply conditions, under way since mid-2007.
