Italy remains at the bottom of the list in Europe for employment rate. But even those at the bottom of the rankings have the chance to improve their performance, even if they can't move up a position. In a race, even those who arrive in the last places have personal bests.
Thus, in 2023, the employment rate for people aged 20 to 64 in Italy stood at 66,3%, marking a greater increase than the EU average with 1,5 points more compared to 0,9 in the EU; however, it remained almost 10 points away from the EU average (75,4%). The most significant handicap concerns female employment. In our country, only 20% of women aged 64 to 56,5 work compared to 70,2% on average in the EU. The male employment rate is 76% (80,5% in the EU). The gap with women is 19,5 points, almost double the EU average (10,3%).
Growth rate of women significantly higher than that of men
Having said all this, it is not useless to appreciate the progress made also in thefemale occupation. A publication by the Foundation for the Study of Labour Consultants entitled '' helps us in this research.Female Employment Trends in 2024'', which shows that last year, female employment outpaced male employment. If in the post-covid period, women had a harder time recovering employment levels, in 2024 (the data refers to the average of the first nine months) the growth rate of female workers (+2,3%) was by far superior to that of men (+ 1,4%).
Overall, female employment had a net increase of 227 thousand workers out of 413 thousand new employees; this means that women determined 55% of the employment balance of the year. Also with reference to the five-year period 2019-2024, female employment records a more sustained growth with a growth rate of 3,9%, higher than the 3,2% of men. The positive trend is reflected on all major indicators of the labor market. In fact, the employment rate increases, from 50,1 in 2019, to 52,2 in 2023 to 53,6 in 2024 (reference to the third quarter) while the unemployment rate decreases significantly, from 10,3 in 2019, to 8,7 in 2023 to 6,2 in 2024.
Employment growth has concerned – as for men – significantly the older age groups, especially those aged 55-64. Between 2019 and 2024, the increase was 354 thousand employed (+18,9%) while the employment rate went from 43,9 to 49,1.
The creation of greater employment opportunities was crucial
The creation of greater employment opportunities has played a decisive role in encouraging women to remain in work in an age group that presents significant problems for many women work-life balance. But we must not overlook the effects of the progressive increase in the retirement age and the ageing of the workforce, which tend to increase the relevance of this age component.
The among young people very positive dynamics are observed. Among 25-34 year olds, employment increases by 6% with a balance of over 100 thousand employed. While among the under 25s the growth is 1,6%. Among the former, the employment rate goes from 54,3 to 60,8. On the other hand, a significant decrease in employment levels is recorded in middle age groups. Among 35-44 year olds, employment fell by 190 thousand units (-7,6%), but this data is attributable to the strong demographic decline which is affecting this component.
This is an aspect that characterizes the labor market as a whole, even for men. In fact, according to Istat data (January 2025), the increase in employment (+0,6%, equal to +145 thousand units) concerns men and women, employees and self-employed workers, all age groups except for 35-49 year-olds among whom the number of employed people is decreasing.
Overall however the employment rate rises to 62,8% (+0,4 points). Female participation levels in the workforce also increase slightly in the 45-54 age group (from 62,3 to 67,5), where the balance of employed women, in numerical terms, is more limited (+1,6%).
For employment, family commitment remains a burden
These data can be traced back to the demographic dynamics which are having a profound impact on the labour market and on the female one in particular, determining an increasingly rapid shift forward in the average age of female workers, despite the presence of an increase in employment levels in all age groups. In the case of women's work, determining the decline in employment especially in the middle age, not only the demographic trend contributes, but also the particular female function within the family. It almost seems as if the different components (demographic, occupational, motivational and personal) are pieces of the same puzzle.
From reading a paper by Inapp ''The unsustainable inactivity. The missing women's work in the demographic transition in Italy'' edited by Valentina Cardinali, it emerges that women who declare a conditional availability at the moment or in search of work (1 million and 260 thousand women in Italy), are distributed according to the following motivations: a quota of 18% (mainly from 15 to 29 years) motivate their condition of inactivity for study and training; 23% for pension and a further 14% (mainly over 50) for reasons of non-need or age. If we exclude these motivations, very connoted by the anagraphic age, 27% link their condition of inactivity to family needs, understood both in the component of direct care of children or non-self-sufficient people, and in the general profile of exercising a reference family role in the home environment.
The relevance of these motivations (which for 80% concerns married women) emerges from the 25-29 age group and reaches its peak between 30 and 40 years of age, in that age group defined as the sandwich generation, due to the simultaneous presence of multiple care needs to be managed and where, in fact, care weighs overall as a motivation for approximately 60% of the total. At the same time, the housewife condition increases in incidence as age increases. The “discouragement” factor, on the other hand, i.e. the belief of not being able to find a job, affects only 5% of the reasons and has its highest peak for women between 45 and 49 years of age where entering or re-entering the job market appears more problematic.
