The Association for the Development of Industry in the South draws a tragic portrait of the situation in the South. Above all, the high unemployment rates are worrying. The official jobless rate in the South was 2010% in 13,4, compared to 6,4% in the Centre-North. The youth employment situation is alarming. The under 34s with a job were only 31,7% (33,3%). The figure takes on dramatic connotations if we consider the young women of whom only 23,3% work, less than half of the young women in the North. The data should be viewed against an ever-expanding gray area in employment.
Growth is also at a standstill. 2011 was the second year of stagnation after two years of recession, the GDP increased by 0,1% (+0,8% in the centre-north). Add to unemployment and own growth the risk of a demographic earthquake. Due to high emigration and low attractiveness for foreigners, in 20 years the South will lose one young person out of 4 while in the North one young person out of 5 will be a foreigner. The under 30s will be two million fewer in 2050 while the over 75s will go from 8 to 18%.
“This process of decline – writes Svimez – can only be interrupted with adequate private and public demand capable of favoring a recovery in production and an increase in stable jobs. Otherwise, the risk is that the loss of productive fabric becomes permanent”.
