(DIRE) Milan, 28 June – From 2013 to 2023, the number of online job ads in Lombardy has grown significantly, highlighting a notable dynamism of the labor market, with almost 800,000 ads in 2023. Although the pandemic shock has somewhat frozen some types of requests, Lombardy has shown a rapid recovery compared to the rest of Italy. The ads highlight a predominance of highly qualified professions, especially in Milan, while in the provinces of Pavia, Lodi and Monza technical professions prevail.
Between 2019 and 2023, there is a growth in lower-skilled professions, a sign of a progressive polarization of the labor market. On average, 40% of advertisements refer to occupations characterized by a high degree of exposure to AI. 36% of the advertisements refer mainly to professions with fewer skills and to occupations less exposed to AI. This is the evidence that emerged from research on the professions of the future conducted by Emilio Colombo, professor of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, in collaboration with the Assolombarda Study Center.
The post-pandemic labor market in Lombardy is also characterized by the growing attention to green occupations, in line with the objectives of the EU’s green transition. Traditionally, so-called ‘green jobs’ are identified based on the characteristics of the profession, but the study by the Catholic University uses an approach that analyzes job offers directly for the presence of skills, indicating that the market may not yet consider some specifically ‘green’ ones crucial.
The incidence of advertisements shows a very low figure, around 2% on average, with peaks of 4-5% only in managerial professions. The most requested ones tend to be generic, falling simply under the “sustainability” umbrella, often associated with managerial and executive roles. These results may depend on the presence of implicit skills in many ecologically oriented professions, but the still limited level of awareness and specific request in hiring processes is undeniable.
Since the pandemic, there has been a growing diffusion of remote work, which redefines business organization and social interactions. Productivity resulting from remote work varies between increases and decreases, influenced by the quality of technological infrastructure and business practices. OECD studies indicate an optimal level of remote work of 2-3 days per week, balancing benefits and costs.
However, the “hybrid” model requires coordination and investments in transversal and technological skills. This trend clashes with the growing importance of soft skills, highlighting the need to adapt skills to remote working and AI integration. By measuring the impact of remote work and social interactions, a positive correlation emerges between remoteness and the intensity of interpersonal relationships, which requires the transformation of skills in the labor market. (Nim/ Dire) 12:18 28-06-24
