Italy's youth face growing job insecurity and delayed earnings

Carmela Tiso, national spokesperson for the Accademia Iniziativa Comune, warned that Italian young people live a paradox of greater information and freedom yet face an increasingly uncertain future. She highlighted structural precarity, short‑term contracts, low wages, housing difficulties and heightened anxiety, which together push talent abroad.

A report by Confprofessioni’s Observatory of Free Professions shows the problem is deepening. The share of workers under 34 fell to about 24 % of employees but only 16 % of self‑employed professionals, while those aged 55‑64 account for roughly a quarter of the professional pool. The ratio of people near retirement to new entrants rose from 71.9 % in 1976 to 156 % in 2026, indicating a weakened generational turnover. Income comparisons reveal the earnings gap has narrowed dramatically: in 1987 young workers earned 91 % of senior salaries, dropping to 69 % by 2022. Young autonomous professionals now earn about 16 % less than older peers, and peak earnings are reached later in careers than before.