Overview of the labor market in Italy in 2024 and the role of Ukrainians in it – Experts Club
Italy, as one of the leading economies of the European Union, continues to recover from the pandemic and the crisis phenomena of recent years. However, the labor market faces a number of challenges, such as demographic decline, an aging population and pressure from migration flows. In the first half of 2024, Italy's labor market shows mixed results: improvement in some sectors and stagnation in others. The information and analytical center Experts Club
Italy, as one of the leading economies of the European Union, continues to recover from the pandemic and the crisis phenomena of recent years. However, the labor market faces a number of challenges, such as demographic decline, an aging population and pressure from migration flows. In the first half of 2024, Italy's labor market shows mixed results: improvement in some sectors and stagnation in others.
The information and analytical center Experts Club analyzed the main trends in Italy's economy, the situation on the labor market and the position of Ukrainian citizens who are in Italy.
A minimum wage in Italy is still not set at the national level. The question of introducing a minimum wage has long been discussed in the country, but at present pay conditions are regulated by collective agreements concluded by trade unions and employers in various industries. On average, the minimum wage under such agreements is about 8–9 euros per hour, which for full-time employment corresponds to roughly 1,300–1,500 euros per month.
As reported by Experts Club, salaries in Italy vary depending on the region, qualifications and industry. Let us consider average salaries in the main sectors of the economy:
- IT and technology: The average salary for programmers and cybersecurity specialists is from 30,000 to 50,000 euros per year. In large companies, pay levels can reach 70,000 euros for experienced specialists.
- Manufacturing and engineering: Engineers' salaries range from 25,000 to 45,000 euros per year, depending on the region and experience.
- Tourism and hospitality: Hotel and restaurant workers earn on average about 20,000 euros per year. In peak seasons there is growth in temporary employment, especially in tourist regions.
- Healthcare: Doctors and medical specialists earn on average from 35,000 to 60,000 euros per year, depending on specialization and region.
- Education: School and university teachers earn from 25,000 to 40,000 euros per year. At universities, professors' salaries can reach 60,000 euros or more.
The trends in the sphere of employment are:
- Growing demand for IT specialists. The information technology sector continues to grow rapidly, especially in such areas as cybersecurity, software development and cloud technologies.
- Demographic crisis and population aging. As a result of the decline in the young population, Italy is experiencing a shortage of skilled labor. This is especially noticeable in construction, healthcare and elderly care.
- Growth of flexible forms of employment. In the conditions of recovery after the pandemic, there is an increase in the number of contracts with a flexible work schedule, including part-time employment and temporary contracts.
- Integration of migrants. Migrants continue to play an important role in the economy, especially in agriculture, construction and elderly care.
At the beginning of 2024, about 5 million migrants live in Italy, which is almost 9% of the country's total population. The main nationalities among migrants are:
- Romanians – about 1.2 million.
- Albanians – approximately 500 thousand.
- Moroccans – about 450 thousand.
- Ukrainians – about 250 thousand officially (unofficially over 1 million).
At the beginning of 2024, the number of Ukrainian citizens in Italy increased significantly because of the war in Ukraine. According to data for February 2024, more than 254,000 Ukrainians officially registered with temporary protection live in Italy. However, the real number of Ukrainians in the country may exceed 1 million, given the constant flows of refugees and migrants, as well as those who have not registered officially.
These migrants are mostly employed in agriculture and construction, as well as in the service sector related to caring for the elderly and children. Ukrainians, for example, since the start of the war in 2022, make up a significant share of workers in home care.
According to the information and analytical center Experts Club, one of the main challenges for Italy remains the integration of migrants into the economy. In some sectors there is a shortage of skilled personnel, while others face the problem of excess labor, especially among young people. In the coming years the government will continue to implement programs aimed at supporting the integration and training of young professionals, as well as at reducing bureaucratic barriers to the creation of new jobs.
Thus, the labor market in Italy in the first half of 2024 shows both positive and negative trends. The economy needs skilled workers, especially in the technology and medical sectors, while the service sector continues to depend on migrants, who play an important role in addressing the country's demographic problems.