Ligurians are getting older and less active in the world of work. Between now and the next ten years there will be almost 65 thousand fewer potential workers in our region. It is the photograph that comes from the Cgia research office in Mestre which analyzed the Italian employment situation from today to the next ten years. The analysis finds that from 2024 to 2034, Italy will lose a total of three million people of working age, aged 15 to 64. And the most critical situation emerges in the southern regions while Liguria, the oldest region in Italy, will go from the current 910,048 people of working age to 845,294, in practice it will lose 64,754 workers, 7.8% less than the current number. A trend in line with the national average (equal to -8%) but the Ligurian decline is much more marked than in regions such as Emilia Romagna (-2.55%), Trentino Alto Adige (-3.10%) and Lombardy ( -3.43%). «In fact, the Ligurian case is more alarming since it affects a territory already tormented by the worst demographic decline in Europe – he explains Luca Maestripieri, general secretary of CISL Liguria – Recover attractiveness through quality and prestigious employment, stem the hemorrhage of young people, encourage virtuous forms of collaboration between training centres, universities and companies. These are the moves that the territory must make to avoid industrial and social desertification in a decade or so.” According to the CGIA, the decline expected between now and the next ten years is attributable to multiple factors: not only the demographic decline but also geopolitical instability, the energy and digital transition with Italian companies destined to suffer frightening repercussions. The difficulty, for example, of finding young workers to join artisan, commercial or industrial companies is already a current problem and will have more marked repercussions on economic scenarios in the next decade. «A region like Liguria, increasingly older and less devoted to growth, is incompatible with any economic plan, indeed it makes it useless – continues the general secretary of CISL Liguria – And May Day is the opportunity to also address this alarm: without demographic prospects there will be no employment prospects.”
The only exception to the national trend comes from the province of Prato, in Tuscany, thanks to a very high rate of foreign population, which will lower the average age of the population between now and the next few years and will have a positive impact on births, so much so that in 2034 there there will be 1,270 more people of working age. «Here in Liguria, however, the first to pay the bill will be the inland areas, for years we have been trying to counteract the depopulation of the hinterland but without being able to reverse the trend – he explains Maurice Calà, general secretary of CGIL Liguria — A situation that will also have strong repercussions on the gross domestic product. The greatest folly of these years has been fighting immigration instead of investing in the quality of work, services, the healthcare system and the stability of the country. Without immigrants we are destined to die, both economically and socially.”
And the progressive decline of Italians of working age will also lead to an increase in health, pension, pharmaceutical and welfare spending with strong repercussions also on public finances. In a country with fewer and fewer young people and a very widespread presence of over 65s, many economic sectors will present the bill. «For years the population aging forecasts have been underestimated if not ignored, Liguria, in addition to the demographic decline, has also missed the integration train with the Ventimiglia situation for years without a solution, and this is the result – he explains Francesca Cantini, sub commissioner for union policies Uil Liguria – Today there is a lot of talk about bonuses and incentives for the family by the Government. Measures that are and will be insufficient to slow down the slow and inexorable decline of the entire country.”
