Work is slowly improving but still marked by precariousness and inequalities: this is the photograph of Calabria that emerges from the INPS 2024 regional social report from which it emerges that NEETs – young people who do not work or study – remain 26.2%, the highest value in Italy. According to the document, presented during a meeting in Catanzaro at the Chamber of Commerce of Catanzaro, Crotone and Vibo Valentia, as of 31 December 2024 the resident population is equal to 1,838,568 inhabitants, 6,421 less than the previous year. Those over 65 represent 24% of the total – one person in four – while young people under 15 are just 12.7%. The natural balance remains negative (-8,485 in 2023), with more deaths than births. The migration phenomenon has a significant impact on the regional demographic picture. In 2023, Calabrian emigrants abroad numbered 4,342, an increase compared to previous decades, while immigrants from abroad remained at 3,705.
The flow of internal migration is even more marked: 16,126 people left Calabria for other regions compared to 8,043 entries. In other words, for every person who arrives, almost two leave the region, contributing to an overall demographic balance of -9,122. The INPS report also analyzes in detail the work and employment of Calabrians. In 2024 the average employment rate (15-64 years) rises slightly to 44.8%, with unemployment decreasing by approximately 3 percentage points, but an inactivity rate increasing by 1.6 points. The youth data is particularly critical: the unemployed between 15 and 29 years old drop to 31.4%, but the NEETs remain 26.2%, the highest value in Italy. The employment balance in the private sector is positive: 161,640 hirings compared to 156,226 terminations. However, permanent contracts are decreasing (from 28,999 to 27,748) and fixed-term contracts are increasing (from 82,678 to 87,032). Part-time work is also increasing, involving 44.2% of employees, compared to a national average of 27.5%. Wages remain significantly lower than the rest of the country: 77.9 euros on average per day for men and 58 for women, compared to a national average of 107.5 and 79.8 euros. Trade confirms itself as the sector with the most employees (over 49 thousand), followed by agriculture, construction and accommodation and catering services. There are 147,270 registered businesses, down compared to 2023, with a reduction in micro-enterprises and a slight increase in small and medium-sized businesses.