BARI – The income of Apulian families is not growing, it remains stable in 2023: this is what emerges from the Bank of Italy report presented today in Bari. Family incomes «in real terms have stagnated due to the growth in prices and the weak dynamics remuneration”, we read. Consumption, which had reduced during the pandemic with a simultaneous accumulation of savings, progressively slowed down during 2023, after the strong recovery in 2022. Inflation, despite having weakened significantly since the end of 2023, contributed to increasing also the cost of essential goods, making their purchase more difficult for families in conditions of poverty. «The growth of loans to families – we further read – weakened last year and in the first months of 2024: the trend was mainly affected by that of housing mortgages, whose new disbursements decreased, mainly affected by lower demand. Fixed rate mortgages, which became more convenient during the year than indexed mortgages, constituted almost all financing for the purchase of homes. The increase in consumer credit instead continued, but with a lower intensity than that of 2022″.
UNIVERSITY: ONE STUDENT IN THREE ENROLL OUTSIDE THE REGION
Furthermore, according to the report, one in three Apulian students among those who enroll at university still prefers to enroll in universities outside the region. In 2022 the enrollment rate of young people residing in Puglia was 52%, up 7.2 points from 2010. However, the enrollment rate is reduced to 39.4% if only those enrolled in universities in Puglia are considered. Outgoing Apulian students, compared to those remaining in the region, have higher diploma grades, they attended a high school and in the year of graduation they obtained higher scores in the Invalsi tests.
EMPLOYMENT: GROWN BY 2.1% IN 2023 BUT «WITH LESS INTENSITY THAN 2022»
«Growth has undoubtedly slowed down, but despite this slight decline the situation of companies remains positive, solid from an equity and financial point of view». This was stated by the director of the Bari branch of the Bank of Italy, Sergio Magarelliduring the presentation of the 2023 report of the regional economies.
«Employment levels – he noted – are growing and in the right direction, towards stable and qualified relationships. There is still a long way to go to make this land attractive for everyone, but Puglia is showing signs of liveliness. The situation of public bodies appears balanced, although highlighting some delays, in particular in the implementation of the Pnrr, but we cannot fail to consider the weight that reduced staffing has. Puglia is ready for the leap but the challenge that awaits us is the demographic one, and then that of productivity.”
In 2023 in Puglia employment grew by 2.1% but “with less intensity than in 2022”, highlights the Bank of Italy report. Over the last three years, the trend has allowed pre-pandemic levels to be exceeded by approximately 76 thousand units. The job offer also increased by 1.4%, while the unemployment rate decreased to 11.6%, but higher than the Italian average by around 4 points.
Both self-employed and employed work contributed to the growth in 2023; net hiring grew above all in services, particularly in trade and tourism, while it decreased in construction.
«In the coming years – we read in the report – participation in the labor market could however be intensely affected by the evolution of the population, expected to decline sharply, and by the increase in the average age. The increase in supply mainly concerned the most qualified workers, who however continue to represent a relatively low share of the workforce and population, also reflecting the region’s poor ability to attract and retain human capital”.
PNRR: 8 BILLION IN RESOURCES ASSIGNED IN PUGLIA
In Puglia, approximately 8 billion in Pnrr resources have been assigned to national and local public implementers, at a per capita level the figure is higher than the Italian average, 2,112 euros compared to 1,902. This was revealed by the Bank of Italy report presented today in Bari.
The administrations have launched tenders for an estimated value of 3.4 billion, less than half of the resources to be tendered, a figure lower than the national one which exceeds 57%. Over 60% of the tender amounts are awarded, 69% in Italy. With reference to public works alone, tenders worth 2.7 billion have been announced in Puglia, of which 64% have been awarded compared to the national average of 74%.
