Toscana Notizie – Flash Lavoro n. 66/2025

THE OVERVIEW

In Italy, “in the third quarter of 2025, labor input, measured by hours worked, increased by 0.7% compared to the previous quarter and by 2% compared to the third quarter of 2024. In the same period, GDP increased by 0.1% in economic terms and grew by 0.6% in trend terms.”
In Tuscany, in the first nine months of 2025, the labor market continued to be characterized by a decline in hiring: approximately 15,000 fewer new hires compared to the same period in 2024 (-2.3%). The contraction in demand is reflected in a slower pace of growth in salaried employment: in the third quarter of 2025, the number of salaried employees increased by approximately 25,000 compared to 2024 (+1.6%). Permanent employment grew (+2.4%) and, within this, the number of permanent contracts increased while the number of apprentices decreased; while fixed-term employees decreased slightly (-0.5%). By sector, all macro-sectors are growing, but manufacturing remains the weakest component: Made in Italy lost employees (-1.5%), with fashion-related manufacturing declining. In the service sector, tourism services continue to grow (+2.6%). The ISTAT Labor Force Survey reports a slowdown in overall employment: the number of people in employment (aged 15-64) fell to 1,678,000 (-0.6%) and the employment rate to 70.8%. The unemployment rate rose to 4.2% (from 3.0% in the third quarter of 2024), with an increase among both men and women.

Focus
A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE MEASUREMENT OF WORK ACCOMPANIMENT SERVICES FOR DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND

edited by Alessandra Crippa, Eleonora Gnan, and Daniela Mesini of the Institute for Social Research (IRS)

The measure of Employment Support Services for Disadvantaged People (POR FSE Toscana 2014-2020, action B.1.1.2.a) supported active inclusion pathways aimed at unemployed/unemployed people referred to social services and with multidimensional vulnerabilities. A qualitative analysis—based on the final reports of the 26 funded projects and interviews with representatives of six projects—highlights how the intervention operated in a “gray area” between the social and work spheres, generating outcomes of reactivation, empowerment, and strengthening of personal and relational skills. The public-private social partnership and networking in the area were key to keeping people in the program, while the tutor played a key role in mediating and supporting the inclusion internships. Some of the main issues that came up were that it didn’t work with the Citizenship Income program and that it was hard for people to stick with the program. The lessons learned indicate the need to strengthen support services (care and reconciliation) and to enhance coordination and back office functions, with greater management flexibility and continuity between funding periods.