Milan teachers leave city due to high cost of living

Teachers in Milan are increasingly leaving the city or declining positions due to rising housing costs and stagnant salaries. Because educator salaries are nationally negotiated, there is no pay premium to offset the high cost of living in Italy's financial capital.

Data from the CISL trade union indicates that approximately 4,300 teaching positions were available in the Milan metropolitan area at the start of the summer, the highest number in Italy. About one-fifth of these vacancies remain unfilled.

The situation reflects broader economic challenges in Italy, including chronic wage stagnation. According to OECD analysis, inflation-adjusted salaries in Italy are lower than in 1990, marking a decline not seen in other advanced economies studied. Eurostat data also shows that Italy has experienced the largest erosion of purchasing power among European Union countries over the last five years.