Italian artisan sector loses thousands of workers and firms

Data from INPS and the Movimpresa registry show a steep decline in Italy’s artisan sector between 2016 and 2025. Nationwide, the number of active artisan firms fell by 5.9%, while artisan registrations dropped 20.7%, representing a loss of about 330,000 workers.

In Umbria’s provinces the contraction is sharper. In Perugia the workforce shrank by 25.5% (from 21,319 to 15,884 workers) and the number of firms fell by 11.1% (1,843 closures). Terni also saw a 25.2% drop in workers and a 7.3% reduction in firms. Mantova recorded the second‑largest regional fall in firms (‑19.9%) and a 28.6% decrease in artisan registrations.

Maria Vittoria Tonelli of the Cassa di previdenza dei ragionieri e degli esperti contabili warned that “the artisan sector is a fundamental economic, social and cultural heritage for the country,” calling for measures to support innovation, digitalisation, training and bureaucratic simplification.