Toscana Notizie – Flash Lavoro n. 64/2025

THE OVERVIEW

In Italy, in the first quarter of 2025, “labor input, measured by hours worked, increased by 1.0% compared to the previous quarter and by 1.1% compared to the first quarter of 2024. In the same period, GDP grew by 0.3% in economic terms and by 0.7% in trend terms.”
In the first quarter of 2025, as in 2024, the labor market in Tuscany was characterized by a decline in hiring and a consequent slowdown in growth: 27,000 new jobs were created, compared to 31,000 in the same period of 2024 (-10.7%). The decline in hiring was widespread across all sectors, but accommodation and food services contributed significantly to the overall result, given their weight. Most manufacturing activities also showed negative changes, although the fashion sector was hit hardest. However, the number of employees is still growing, albeit at a slower rate, +1.9% (compared to +3.1% in the first quarter of last year), driven by permanent employment, thanks mainly to an increase in conversions, while apprenticeships and fixed-term contracts are declining.

Among the sectors, manufacturing recorded the smallest increase and, within this sector, Italian manufacturing lost employees, with significant decreases in leather-related manufacturing. The most significant increases were in the production of mechanical and electrical machinery and equipment, the food industry, and pharmaceuticals. In the service sector, tourism services are still growing, albeit at a slower pace than in the first quarter of 2024, and local seaside tourism systems appear to be struggling. The ISTAT Labor Force Survey describes a stagnant trend in overall employment, both self-employed and employed, with the number of people in work equal to that of the first quarter of 2024, -31,000 men and +31,000 women, and an employment rate among 15- to 64-year-olds at almost the same level: 70.1% versus 69.9%. The number of unemployed is 4,000 lower than in the first quarter of 2024, after two years of decreases between -14,000 and -24,000, but only thanks to the female component; among men, the unemployment rate is increasing, probably as a result of the difficult economic situation in the manufacturing sector.

Focus
IMMIGRANTS IN TUSCANY: PARTICIPATION IN THE LABOR MARKET, INCOME, RISK OF POVERTY, AND ACCESS TO WELFARE SERVICES
The aim of this study is to analyze the situation of immigrants in Tuscany in terms of participation in the labor market, income, risk of poverty, and access to welfare services.

By Donatella Marinari and Letizia Ravagli

Key labor market data for the 15-64 age group highlight a disadvantage for foreign workers, particularly in terms of activity and employment rates. Twenty-five percent of foreigners in this age group are excluded from the labor market, compared to 12% of Italians. Analyzing the data by gender, foreign men show higher labor participation rates than Italians, while 35% of immigrant women are inactive, compared to 22% of Italian women. Both foreign women and men face greater difficulties in terms of unemployment. Despite this, their contribution to the regional labor market has been significant: between 2008 and 2023, the number of people aged 20 to 64 in employment increased by 41,000 (+2.7%), a growth entirely attributable to foreigners (+47,000), while there was a decrease of 6,000 among Italians. Foreigners are often employed in a few sectors characterized by low wages and a high risk of low-skilled, unstable, and reduced-hour employment. These conditions are also reflected in employment income: in 2023, a foreign worker between the ages of 15 and 64 earned on average 33% less than an Italian worker. In addition, they are more likely to live in households with fewer employed persons and greater family responsibilities.
As a result, the proportion of foreign households with low incomes is higher, as is the incidence of severe material and social deprivation (7.5% versus 2.1%) and the risk of poverty (26.3% versus 7.7%). Despite being in more disadvantaged economic conditions, foreigners contribute more than Italians to the financing of welfare: the average tax balance for immigrants is €4,965, compared to €1,550 for Italians. They benefit more from welfare transfers (53% compared to 33%), but, once the worst socio-economic indicators are taken into account, there are no significant differences in access to welfare services between Italians and foreigners.