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Italian labor market trends and regional disparities

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2026-09-05 10:06 UTC → 2026-09-05 14:46 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Italian labor market continues to exhibit growth alongside persistent structural imbalances. While the executive market reached a record high of 134,000 private-sector managers in 2025, Italy maintains a low manager-to-employee ratio of less than 0.9%, trailing neighbors like France and Germany. This shortfall is particularly acute in SMEs, where only 30% of family firms employ external managers, compared to approximately 80% in leading European competitors. Recent data from 2023 to 2026 indicates record employment growth, characterized by increased stability through permanent contracts in manufacturing and construction. However, a significant mismatch between education and industry needs persists, with nearly half of sought-after technical and engineering positions remaining unfilled. Regional disparities remain a defining feature of the landscape. While the Marche region maintains employment rates above the national average, specific areas like Rieti face declining employment and a loss of highly qualified young residents. Economic divides are further evidenced by wage and productivity gaps between the North and South. In the North, average daily wages reach 108 euros with 255 paid working days per year, whereas southern workers average 80 euros per day and 228 working days. A 2024 study by CGIA di Mestre highlights that this 27-day annual working gap represents nearly one full month of work. Productivity levels in the North also exceed those in the South by 36 percent. These discrepancies are attributed to seasonal labor, precarious employment, involuntary part-time work, and undeclared work in southern regions. ~~Geographically, managerial concentration is highest in Lombardy (1.8%) and Lazio (1.4%), while southern regions report ratios as low as 0.2% to 0.3%.~~

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