Companies are looking for an increasingly significant number of workers specialized in the processing of leather, hides and footwear. In Marche, in the quarter May – July 2024 the companies expect to hire 700 employees. This scenario is outlined by the Bulletin of the Excelsior information system, created by Unioncamere and the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies, whose data extrapolated on the basis of the needs of the sector were confirmed by the exhibitors of Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags. Organized by Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags, with 40 countries represented among the exhibiting companies and visitors from over 100 countries, is the most important international fair dedicated to the volume production of footwear, bags and fashion accessories. Analyzing the situation in the Marche region, the most significant demand for workers in the sector comes from the companies in the province of Fermo with an impact on the total forecast of 63.4% while the requests from the companies in the province of Macerata will be 36.6% of the total. The most numerous companies that have expressed the intention to hire staff for the Marche companies in the sector analyzed have a size that varies between ten and forty-nine employees equal to 58% while the smallest companies or those with up to nine employees are 33, 4%. Only 8.5% of hirings are planned by the largest companies, i.e. those with between 50 and 249 employees. In the Marche region in the period May – July 2024, the hirings expected by companies will overall amount to 44,490. Overall, the hiring forecasts by companies that fall into the “Textile, clothing and footwear industries” category in the period from May to July 2024 will be a total of 28,800. Companies are looking for staff and it is a trend that has been underway for some time. The meeting between supply and demand must deal with the difficulty of finding qualified personnel. A critical issue also encountered by Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags on the occasion of “ERS Around the World”, which brought the Fair’s top management to Brazil, China, Pakistan, Portugal and Spain, important footwear production hubs.
