Francesco (fictitious name) is 22 years old and has changed many jobs. A diploma in accounting, little desire to study but a lot to work. The last paycheck was 78 euros. The promises had been different: eight hours in a truck to guarantee a much more decent salary. And instead at the end of the month the (non-existent) absences have justified a sum with which you can barely offer a pizza to your girlfriend. “You told me about coaching. She said I had to learn. But she only told me after she accepted the job. She told me to be patient for a few months. Then things will change. But I don’t believe it. I went away. It’s not right to work in these conditions.” Before that, Francesco worked occasionally in pizzerias and bars. Twenty euros an evening for a job that starts in the late afternoon and ends in the late evening. “I can’t imagine my future. I would like to have a family of my own, but how could I support it? Sometimes I walk through the streets of this beautiful city and I think that perhaps we, my generation, deserve something more. We deserve to be able to work with dignity. And is this why we really have to be forced to leave?”.
Generation in difficulty (the numbers) – It is an established fact that the new generations, in particular people between 25 and 34 years old, are those who suffer most due to the socio-economic situation. Particularly from 70 years to today, this is the worst time for young people to look for work in Italy. Compared to the average Italian, young people feel more insecure, irrational and introverted. Even when work is found it is often a source of anxiety and stress (e.g particularly for women) since young people are often given the least attractive contracts (fixed-term, on-call, with rotating shifts, VAT-registered collaborations…) and career advancement is increasingly difficult to obtain. THE 2022 data they say that in Italy currently only 14% of managers are under forty years oldcompared to 31% of the European average.
It goes without saying that the economic question it is the greatest concern of the new generationsoften forced to live one month at a time, without solid prospects for the future, the work environment according to a Deloitte report remains the primary source of psychophysical discomfort. 36% of Gen Z say they feel exhausted most of the time spent at work, 35% are mentally detached from their job and 42% have difficulty giving their best. The numbers between Millennials are very similar: 30%, 28% and 40% respectively. Heavy workloads, an unbalanced work-life balance, unhealthy corporate cultures and the inability to fulfill oneself in one’s workplace are the reasons that put the mental well-being of young generations to the test.
