Unemployment Rate Rises, 52:1 Competition Ratio Becomes a Needle's Eye
On the 5th (local time), a congratulatory event for the successful candidates of the sanitation worker recruitment exam was held at the Nuovo Castle in Naples. Photo by Gaetano Manfredi, Mayor of Naples, Twitter capture · Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] Unlike the wealthy northern Italy, the south still faces high unemployment rates, and an event symbolizing the severity of unemployment was held in Napoli.
On the 5th (local time), according to Italy's ANSA news agency, a celebration was held at Castel Nuovo in central Napoli for 200 successful candidates of the sanitation worker recruitment exam. For this public recruitment, 26,112 people applied for 500 positions, showing a competition rate of over 52 to 1. An additional 300 successful candidates will be announced in April next year.
The Napoli authorities held the celebration at Castel Nuovo, one of the city's most iconic buildings and landmarks, for those who passed through the "needle's eye." Napoli Mayor Gaetano Manfredi gave a congratulatory speech and handed out certificates of acceptance to the successful candidates wearing orange fluorescent vests.
ANSA reported that "the successful candidates were busy taking commemorative photos with their parents who came along." Once considered a symbol of tough jobs, sanitation workers have been gaining popularity every year as more people seek stable employment amid economic downturns.
Especially in Napoli, where high unemployment has become a serious social issue, the popularity of sanitation workers, who are guaranteed retirement age and stable income, is increasing. Among the 200 successful sanitation workers in Napoli this time, 12 are university graduates, and the youngest successful candidate was 19 years old.
According to the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), the unemployment rate among the working-age population (15-64 years old) in Napoli was 37.4% as of 2021. Among them, the youth unemployment rate for ages 25-34 was 38.4%. This means that 2 out of 5 young people at prime working age are unemployed. Experts point out that the actual unemployment rate in Napoli may be much higher than the official statistics.
Italy is clearly divided between the north and south, centered around Rome. Compared to the industrialized north, the south, which is mainly focused on dairy farming, has extreme income disparities. Especially as you go north from Rome, you can enjoy clean streets and splendid houses. On the other hand, moving south from Rome, the streets become dirty and there are many old and worn-out houses.
The contrasting appearances of the cities in the north and south reveal the problem of economic polarization in Italy. This is officially called the "Southern Question" (Questione Meridionale) in Italy.
To solve this southern issue, the Italian government has made efforts for nearly 50 years, but the economic polarization between north and south is structurally entrenched. The north complains that "they are supporting the southern regions with the taxes they pay." Meanwhile, the south is caught in a vicious cycle where it is difficult to maintain the current income level without government support.
As such, there is a lack of quality jobs in the south, including Napoli, to the extent that a celebration for sanitation worker exam passers was held. Local media evaluated this event as starkly revealing the poor economic situation in southern Italy, leaving a bitter aftertaste.
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