5.4 Work, the Job Market, and Tourism

5 min read•january 9, 2023

Kallie Hoffman

AP Italian 🇮🇹

39 resources

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Work and the Job Market 👨🏾‍🏭👷🏼‍♀️

The unemployment rate in Italy is extremely high, which has created an unstable job market and a weak economy. After the financial crisis of 2008, many workers were uncared for or laid off. Even today, Italy has one of the largest levels of public debt in Europe.

The majority of the unemployed are young people, which makes the competition for work much more intense. The labor market has evolved, and there are more opportunities for individuals and greater relations between workers and their employers, but the situation is still a major issue of note.

*North - factory work + industry

*South - agriculture + farm work

Italian Work Culture

In Italy, there is an emphasis on the relationship between work and family, so Italians always preserve enough time for personal interests. This mentality has been strained due to the pressures of the job market and is especially felt by young people. But, unlike in the United States, the mentality is that Italians work to live and do NOT live to work

Benefits ✔️ ✔️

Max 40 hours per week
- Mon - Fri, 9 AM - 6 PM
4 weeks paid leave, 11 bank holidays
Public National Health Service
- Free health care for all people
- Hospital care, emergency care, primary care, pharmaceuticals, diagnostic services, free prescription drugs
2 months of paid maternity leave
Additional benefits may include private health insurance, company car, mobile phone, meal voucher, additional training, etc.

How to Get a Job in Italy

In-Demand 🌶️ 🔥

The most in-demand jobs for locals and foreigners are in the health care system, such as nurses, doctors, and therapists. Other useful professions are in the fields of mathematics, computer science, sales, and marketing. Also, speaking English fluently is key

Important Stats:

68% of pop work in the service industry, accounting for 74% of Italy's GDP
- 12.8% of pop work in the tourism industry, accounting for 11.8% of Italy's GDP
  - 51 world heritage sites, ~ 50 mil visitors per year, visitors accounted for ~ 40 billion euros
- UniCredit Bank, Assicurazioni Generali insurance, road transport system
25.9% of pop work in the manufacturing industry
- Small and medium-sized businesses in clusters, "Industrial Triangle" = Milan, Turin, Genoa
- Automobiles, iron, steel, textiles, machine tools, chemicals, and food
3.7% of pop work in the agriculture industry, totaling 1.6 mil farms
- North = dairy, corn, fruits, meat, AND South = fruits, wheat

*Information Gathered from WorldAtlas

Best Places for Job Opportunities

In general, the larger the city, the more available the work is. At the same time, the cost of living is usually higher. The cities with the greatest infrastructure and opportunities are Rome, Milan, Bologna, Firenze, Bergamo, Turin, and Naples.

Top Six Cities in Italy for Employment:

Turin - pop of over 800,000, close proximity to Milan + Geneva, cultural activities, parks, museums, and extensive public transport
Milan - pop of over 1.3 million, conservative mentality, minimal English spoken, known for industry, fashion, and finance
Varese - pop of ~ 80,000, 30 miles N of Milan, known for industry and specialized agriculture
Florence - pop of over 300,000, tourism tourism tourism
Rome - pop of over 2.5 million, a melting pot of people, it's the Capital!!
Bologna - pop of over 350,000, home to auto manufacturers, banks, electronics, leather products, and clothing

*Information Gathered from Expat Exchange

Strive for Five Vocab 🔑🔑

Turno di lavoro - work shift
Libero professionista - self employed
Orario fisso - fixed working hours
A tempo determinato/a tempo indeterminato - temporary job/permanent job
Il datore di lavoro - employer
Tempo pieno - full time
Disoccupato/a - unemployed
Il stipendio - salary
Il guadagno- profit
Lavoro stagionale - seasonal work
Essere assunto/essere licenziato - to be hired/fired
Ben/mal retribuito - well/poorly paid
Con i turni - with shifts

Travel and Tourism ✈️ 🛩️

As of 2018, there were approximately 63 million tourists in Italy per year, making Italy the fifth most visited country in the world. Tourism is one of Italy's fastest-growing and most profitable industries, bringing in an estimated revenue of around $190 billion.

The Italians embrace foreigners, as it boosts their economy and stimulates local businesses. It is also an honor to have so many people appreciate the rich culture, cuisine, history, fashion and art, beautiful beaches and coastlines, and priceless architecture.

Popular Attractions

The Colosseum, Rome

image courtesy of the national geographic society

The Pantheon, Rome

image taken from learn religions

La Fontana di Trevi, Rome

image courtesy of barcelo

Tourism and Covid-19 😢 😥

The entire world is affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but for Italy, a country dependent on the tourism industry for nearly 13% of its total GDP, this nightmare could cause lasting economic damage. Hotels are closed, restaurants are operating at low capacity, famous monuments are not receiving flocks of tourists, and overall, people are just not visiting Italy.

Italy Without Tourists 🚫 💲

Before Covid-19, six million US travelers visit Italy every year

90% of hotels remain closed in Rome, an economic loss of ~ $115 mil per month
Revenue shortfall predicted to top 3 billion euros

20-30,000 people in the hotel/accommodation sector will not be rehired
Before Covid-19, six million US travelers visited Italy every year

Italian Vacations 🏖️ 🌊

Italians work extremely hard during the year, so the summer is the one time when they can drop everything, take a break, and go on holiday to enjoy themselves. August is the busiest vacation month, and many people take beach vacations, where they can sunbathe, lie in the sand, and relax in the warm water.

To satisfy these wants, these are the "ideal" vacation spots Italians choose: 🏄🏽 ⛱️