Employment

Competition for jobs in Italy is understandably very intense as there are more job seekers than jobs (Italy has one of the highest rates of unemployment in Europe), whether it be clerical, skilled, unskilled, professional, full-time or part-time. The Italian Government will not register non-residents of Italy, including tourists, visitors or even students who are living in Italy on a temporary basis.

If you wish to work in Italy, either permanently or temporarily, it is advised that you be provided with a work permit from your prospective employer, and obtain a work visa from the Italian Consular authorities before arriving in Italy. For self- employment the procedure is basically the same. A written job offer is not regarded as a valid document for working in Italy, nor is an employment contract. The prospective employer must apply for preliminary clearance from the provincial employment office (Ufficio Provinciale del Lavoro e della Massima Occupazione) in the proposed city of employment by giving evidence that the job cannot be given to a local resident and only the non-resident is qualified.

Baby sitting jobs and child care is not something that is often required in Italy since relatives and friends more often than not help out.

The Ministry of Labour insists that should office work become available, such as secretaries, typists or office help, the preference must be given to the locals, thus there is very rarely an opening for a non-resident.

There are quite a few English language schools in Italy, and vacancies do come up for non-residents teachers. It affords you a very relaxed lifestyle but the pay is generally low, regardless of the city in which you have chosen to live. Most non-resident teachers need to support their lifestyle by acquiring a second income.

The area with the largest projected employment growth in Italy is the construction industry. It is believed that demand in the business services sector is also expected to grow in the next few years.

Southern Italy is expected to show the most dramatic employment growth over the next few years, followed by central Italy and finally the northern region. Tourism, distribution, food industries, wood furniture, wholesale, vehicle sales, minerals and artisan enterprises are amongst the leading areas contributing to this projected employment growth.

Some employment agencies believe that temporary employment in Italy should be the way forward for the country to develop certain areas. Certainly for overseas visitors it's a great way to get to know Italy's dolce vita (way of life) and possibly develop contacts for a future in an international career. Temporary employment agencies usually look for a variety of workers such as clerks, electricians, waiters, bartenders, receptionists, system administrators, technical support, engineers, and so forth. Most assignments last from between three to six months, but there are times when they last for a period of up to two years.

Due to the increasing use of computers it's possible to find a job in Italy from the internet, but traditional methods of recruiting such as employment agencies, newspaper advertisements and personal networking are still the most common. A number of websites offer free databases and the option of submitting curriculum vitae to potential employers.