IT
Annual Report on the Labour Market and Gender Policies 2024 Presented
WORK, INAPP: “EMPLOYMENT INCREASES BUT THE GENDER GAP REMAINS – A COST THE COUNTRY CAN NO LONGER AFFORD”
Despite the numerical increase in women’s participation in the labour market (the female employment rate among 15–64-year-olds reached 52.5%, up by 1.4 percentage points from the previous year), the issues driving gender gaps in the labour market remain unresolved. In the first half of 2024, 4,294,151 new hires were recorded, of which only 42% involved women. Of all hires, 24.4% were supported by incentives.
Rome, 16 December 2024 – Despite the numerical increase in women in the labour market (the female employment rate among those aged 15-64 has reached 52.5%, with a rise of 1.4 percentage points compared to the previous year), the issues that have caused and continue to cause gender gaps in the labour market do not appear to be resolved. The gender gap in employment rates remains on average at 18 percentage points, and despite a slight annual decline in the inactivity rate, 64% of inactivity in Italy is still female and mainly due to family-related needs. Care responsibilities prevent 34% of women and 2.8% of men aged 15-64 from working, as well as 43.7% of women and 4% of men aged 25-34 (the average female fertility age group). The primary reason for male inactivity, on the other hand, remains study and training. These are the main findings of the new Gender Policy Report prepared by INAPP.
The report highlights that in the first half of 2024, 4,294,151 new hires were initiated, of which only 42% involved women. Of all the hires, 24.4% were supported by incentives, but despite the incentive policies, three indicators of job quality remain critical:
- Stability of employment. Fixed-term contracts remain the predominant hiring method (45.5% for men and 40.4% for women). Permanent contracts account for 18.3% of male hires and only 13.5% of female hires, a share lower than that of seasonal contracts (17.6%).
- Incidence of part-time work. Nearly half of all contracts for women (who account for 42% of the total) are part-time (49.2% compared to 27.3% for men).
- The “double disadvantage” of fixed-term contracts combined with part-time work mainly affects women. Part-time work accounts for 64.5% of fixed-term contracts for women compared to 33% for men.
The report also highlights the imbalance in caregiving responsibilities between men and women, which continues to impact employment and income. According to the INAPP Plus survey, 16% of women stop working after becoming mothers, compared to 2.8% of men. Parental leave is requested by women in 80% of cases, but as it is only partially paid, it results in a gross gender pay gap of €5,000, according to INAPP Plus estimates. Another aspect to consider is the issue of low-wage work, which has a strong gender dimension: for women, due to the characteristics of their participation (primarily low hourly wages and low work intensity), the incidence of low-wage work is about three times that recorded for men (18.5% versus 6.4%).
Finally, the migratory background of women resulted in a lower employment rate in 2023 compared to native women (48.7% versus 53.0%) and higher unemployment (14.2% versus 8.3%). At equal work and qualifications, immigrant women still earn less than both their male colleagues and Italian women, with a concentration in the lower deciles of the income distribution. Having children represents an additional penalty: if migration is for family reunification or marriage, inactivity is higher than that of native women or women who migrate for work. For women who migrate for work, however, the issue of “white orphans,” children left in the country of origin, becomes more prominent. The complexity of reunification procedures and the limited protection coverage in the domestic and family work sector, where they are predominantly employed, represents an additional factor of marginalisation.
The report also includes an analysis of three European directives on gender equality that Italy must transpose by spring 2026: Directives 1499 and 1500 of 2024 on the streamlining and support of equality bodies and Directive 970 of 2023 dedicated to strengthening the principle of equal pay for the same work or work of equal value through pay transparency measures.
“Female employment is a strategic resource, but the increase in the employment rate to bring it closer to the European average is hindered by the lack of adequate caregiving services for children and dependent people,” stated Natale Forlani, President of INAPP. “Women’s work suffers in terms of the quality of employment relationships, and a significant proportion of women give up seeking work. The goal of increasing the availability of services and improving the quantity and quality of women’s employment relationships therefore becomes a priority for labour policies.”
For more information:
Presidency – tel. 0685447700