Family and friends in England often ask me what impact the financial crisis is having on people here in Italy. Not an easy question to answer! Certainly the work situation is pretty bad, as described in this article from the Italian newspaper La Stampa:
In Italia ci sono 630 mila posti da coprire
Le offerte? Tutte per cuochi e badanti.
Ma dall’Istat dati allarmanti: disoccupati quasi all’11%, giovani al 35
In Italy there are 630 thousand places to fill
The jobs offered? All for cooks and carers
But alarming news from Istat (Institute of Statisticians): almost 11% unemployment, 35% amongst young people
La disoccupazione cresce, la recessione brucia i posti di lavoro che ci sono, ma anche in una situazione di crisi ci sono comunque imprese che hanno bisogno di personale.
Unemployment is growing, the recession is destroying existing jobs, but even in a crisis situation there are businesses in need of staff.
In tutto, 633.740, secondo le elaborazioni della Fondazione Hume per ‘la Stampa’. Una mezza buona notizia in questi tempi cupi.
In all, 633,740, according to research carried out for ‘La Stampa’ by the Hume Foundation. A half-good news in these dark times.
Il guaio, se così si può dire, è che a leggere in dettaglio i numeri non si tratta di posti di lavoro ‘avanzati’, in settori ad alta innovazione. Serviranno piuttosto cuochi, camerieri, badanti, personale delle pulizie. Più un’Italia pizza, tramonto sul mare e mandolino, che un’Italia di ricerca e tecnologia.
The shame, if you can put it like that, is that a careful reading of the data shows that it doesn’t mention ‘advanced’ jobs in highly innovative sectors. It’s cooks, waiters, carers, and cleaning staff instead that are needed. An Italy of pizzas, sunsets on the sea, and mandolins, rather than an Italy of research and technology.
In un’economia italiana in ripiegamento, a quanto pare gli unici settori che «tirano», e che comunque appaiono in grado di reclutare lavoratori dipendenti, sono quelli più tradizionali: turismo, alberghi, ristorazione, commercio al dettaglio, costruzioni
In a collapsing Italian economy, it seems that the only sectors that ‘hold’, and still seem able to recruit employees, are the traditional ones: tourism, hotels, restaurants, retail, and construction.
Secondo la Fondazione Hume, i posti migliori per trovare un lavoro saranno Roma (7,2% del totale), Milano (6,6%), Napoli (3,9%), Torino (3,3%) e Verona (2,6%). La Lombardia, con 99.500 assunzioni guida la classifica delle Regioni, con netto scarto su Emilia-Romagna, Veneto e Lazio.
According to the Hume Foundation, the best places to find work are Rome (7.2% of the total), Milan (6.6%), Naples (3.9%), Turin (3.3%) and Verona (2.6%). Lombardy, with 99,500 jobs filled is the leading region, well ahead of Emilia Romagna, Veneto, and Lazio.
ROBERTO GIOVANNINI
Roma
Comments:
James Lupori:
Thanks for this post. It’s interesting that the Italian economy has such a great potential (remember that “Fine Italian Hand”) but will need to transform the way it does business and promotes itself in the global economy.
Kathryn:
Do you know how this compares to post WWII, into the 50’s and 60’s when many Italians left Italy for work (Canada and Australia come to mind).
Geoff:
@Kathryn Ciao Kathryn,
The big difference is that the people who emigrated after WWII were, on the whole, poor unemployed labourers. Educated people, at that time, had a better chance of finding work in a redeveloping Italy.
The situation now is called ‘La Fuga dei Cervelli’ (‘The Escape of the Brains’) as, sadly, there are very few opportunities for young graduates, or people hoping to do innovative work here in Italy. Therefore they emigrate to the UK, the USA, and so on.
A presto, Geoff
FrenFrey:
Sorry, but it seems to be some kind of mistake:
630 mila = 360 thousand??
630 or 360?
Geoff:
@FrenFrey Grazie per avermi indicato lo sbaglio 🙂
Saluti da Geoff