Milan, Jul. 7 (LaPresse) – In Italy, the unemployment rate in the 20% of regions with the weakest performance is more than four times higher than that in the 20% of regions with the strongest performance, compared with an OECD average of around twice as high. This was stated by the OECD in its Employment Outlook 2026, in the country notes relating to Italy. Despite this, the OECD underlined that, since the beginning of the 2010s, regional disparities in employment rates have narrowed by 10.4% relative to the national average, in line with most countries in the area. According to the OECD, this reflects positive labour market developments in regions that previously recorded low employment rates. In light of the “recent increase in energy prices,” which “is pushing inflation upward and real wages downward,” and assuming that “the significant repercussions of the conflict in the Middle East are limited to a relatively short period of time,” the OECD forecasts that real wages in Italy will decline by 0.9% in 2026 and increase by only 0.2% in 2027, owing to “the limited number of collective bargaining agreements expected to be renewed in 2027 and the persistent underutilisation of the labour market,” the OECD added.
OECD: “Regional employment gaps in Italy have narrowed, but remain well above the area average”
Milan, Jul. 7 (LaPresse) – In Italy, the unemployment rate in the 20% of regions with the weakest performance is more than four times higher than that in the 20% of regions with the strongest performance, compared with an OECD average of around twice as high. This was stated by the OECD in its Employment Outlook 2026, in the country notes relating to Italy. Despite this, the OECD underlined that, since the beginning of the 2010s, regional disparities in employment rates have narrowed by 10.4% relative to the national average, in line with most countries in the area. According to the OECD, this reflects positive labour market developments in regions that previously recorded low employment rates. In light of the “recent increase in energy prices,” which “is pushing inflation upward and real wages downward,” and assuming that “the significant repercussions of the conflict in the Middle East are limited to a relatively short period of time,” the OECD forecasts that real wages in Italy will decline by 0.9% in 2026 and increase by only 0.2% in 2027, owing to “the limited number of collective bargaining agreements expected to be renewed in 2027 and the persistent underutilisation of the labour market,” the OECD added.
