In 2016, the Lombardy labour market recorded positive trends.

The number of employed persons rose, returning to levels above those of 2008: an absolute increase of 54,000. Among the employed, there was growth in the number of women and more highly educated workers, while the workforce has undergone a profound shift in terms of age: there are almost 90,000 fewer employed young people aged 15-24 compared to 2008 (despite the population having grown by 67,000), while those over 55 have seen a surge of 260,000, well above the population increase of 67,000.

The crisis has left a legacy of a significant reduction in the number of employed people between the ages of 25 and 45, a crucial age group for a country's development: it is the backbone of its workforce and where its leadership class is formed.

However, the greatest effects of the crisis have been on unemployment: despite the positive performance in 2016, the number of unemployed people - which fell by almost 20,000, from 364,000 in 2015 to 346,000 - remains more than double the 164,000 recorded in 2008. In 2016, youth unemployment in Lombardy fell back below the 30% threshold (29.9%). The level remains excessive, but the trend is positive, partly due to a decline in the number of NEETs (Not in Employment, Education or Training), i.e. young people who, having left school, are unable to enter the labour market: in Lombardy, these have decreased from 155,000 to 137,000, and their share of the population of the same age has fallen from 17.0% to 15.0%.

Attachments

• 18/09/17 The Labour Market in Lombardy - 2017 Report (PDF)