1. READY FOR OUR LIVES
InternationalErasmusPlusProject
2015-2018
NICOSIA 29°MARCH-03°APRIL2017
I.I.S.A. Volta
Nicosia- Italy
Immigrantsat the job market
2. Italy is the European country that has received the most immigrants in the past fifteen years.
Up to the late 1990s, the largest proportion of immigrants was from North Africa, whereas
the majority of migration inflows originated from Eastern Europe.
From 2007 to 2014, the national resident population is slightly down, while the foreign one
has grown at an average rate of about 8%; in eight years the number of foreign individuals
has grown by about 2 million.
Population growth is also due to family reunions, which represent the majority of the
residence permits issued. Among the communities of non-EU origin, citizens prevail from
Albania, Morocco, China, Ukraine, the Philippines.
Looking at the data for the past two years, many communities have recorded significant
growth rates, for example, the Romanian community.
3. Migrant workers are highly concentrated in unskilled
jobs, although around a half of them has a university or
an upper secondary degree. Around 40% with a tertiary
degree is in a manual position, and this value rises to
60% among holders of an upper secondary degree. This
means that many migrant workers are over-educated
relative to the jobs they hold. A similar problem occurs
to national workers but to a much lower extent.
4. The opportunities for career development are very low
although there are no data on discrimination in
occupational careers, a relevant factor to consider is that
migrant workers in Italy gain access mainly to unskilled jobs
with high occupational instability that offers very limited
opportunities for intra-generational mobility. However, the
recent increase of self-employment among migrant workers
has opened to them new opportunities for job
improvement.
5. In Italy, migrant workers tend to concentrate in some sectors
(agriculture, services to families, constructions, hotels and restaurants,
low and unskilled service jobs), where the control exerted by trade
unions on work activities is traditionally weaker than in the industrial
sector, so there is a high incidence of undeclared work. Union density
is very weak in the case of services to families because personal
contacts of these workers with trade union representatives are more
difficult, in some cases, language difficulties represent further
obstacles.
6. Migrant population and, more specifically migrant workers, are concentrated in the
Northern and Central regions, where a more dynamic economy requires migrant
workers to a greater extent, and in Lazio (more particularly, in Rome, the city that
attracts the highest number of non-nationals in Italy). The Northern regions attract
particularly in the constructions sector and in the services to families, but also in
the primary sector.
7. Another aspect that is worth mentioning refers to the importance of
social networks as providers of information, social contacts and
opportunities for job search. But a by-product of this situation is that
migrant workers of a given country who are employed in a given
sector tend to attract in this sector other workers from the same
country, producing an ethnic specialisation for specific occupations
(eg women from Philippines in the services to families, men from
Albania and Romania in the construction sector, and so on).
8. A relevant phenomenon that has increasingly involved
migrant workers in Italy is entrepreneurship. Around
312,000 entrepreneurs are non-national, with a sharp
increase in the recent year and it represents the most
influent trend in the area of entrepreneurship in Italy.
9. It has been calculated that, without the increase of
non-national entrepreneurship, the overall number
of firms in Italy would be declining. Non-national
entrepreneurs are highly concentrated in the North
of Italy and among males. The sectors of trades and
constructions attract the highest number of non-
national entrepreneurs, but they are very active
also in phone-centres and internet points.
10. Italy has the lowest rate of naturalization among the EU countries. This is
particularly painful for the "second generation“, the law currently regulating the
Italian citizenship, approved in 1992, is based on the "right of blood". It gives
Italian citizenship to all children born to Italian parents. On the contrary the
children of immigrants born in Italy have to wait until their 18th birthday before
they can apply for citizenship - but only if registered after birth otherwise they
will be just immigrants, needing a residence permit - issued on condition they
can prove an income.
Some parties and associations are asking for the approval of the jus soli that is
the right of anyone born in the territory of a state to nationality or citizenship.
Changing the citizenship law will be an important step to better the lives of many.
It will convey the message that immigration is not a danger to the Italian society,
but rather an opportunity.
