Lorenzo Macchi
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Italy
Job market and training in Italy - Statistics & Facts
Italy's unemployment rate stands at around nine percent, the fourth-highest figure among members of the European Union, after Spain, Greece, and Lithuania. According to a forecast from May 2021, the unemployment rate in Italy could reach 10.2 percent in 2021 and eventually decrease slightly in 2022. In addition to a large unemployed population, Italy also has two unfortunate records in the European Union. It has the largest share of young people out of education or training (NEET) and the highest share of economically inactive people. This latter figure concerns the number of people outside the labor market, that are neither employed nor unemployed, with the female population having a noticeably higher inactivity rate than the male population.
The future of the job market
Recent studies on employment have focused on how the structures of the job market will change in the coming years. Various trends can be observed, such as the reallocation of workers, new workplaces, remote work, and the need for new skills. In terms of qualification levels, the labor force distribution in Italy is expected to change considerably, as low qualification work is likely to decrease in favor of work that requires higher qualifications. The occupations that might experience the highest demand in the coming decade are anticipated to be administrative and commercial managers, and hospitality, retail, and other services managers. In terms of sectors, the fishing sector will experience the most significant change in employment, followed by the employment activities sector.What employees really want
The coronavirus pandemic has brought drastic changes in the daily lives of employees. Different surveys suggest that the workplace might have changed for years to come, as employees seem to prefer home office or hybrid work, a combination of both working from the office and from home. Furthermore, the necessity to work from home and arrange their own work environment has pushed employees to develop new skills and adopt digital technologies in a wide range of daily tasks. Indeed, positive attitudes towards work training as well as digital and technological development have increased among Italian workers. These opportunities can make a workplace attractive and stimulating, considering that employees give great value to professional development. After all, what employees in Italy really want is not simply higher salaries or monetary benefits, but a fixed salary, training opportunities, and positive interpersonal relationships with coworkers.
