From the reserve list in public sector recruitment to the fall in the number of people not in work: the effects of universal national service
The most concrete figure relates to the 15 per cent quota of posts in public sector recruitment competitions, introduced by Law No. 74 of 21 June 2023 for those who have completed the Universal Civil Service without any demerits. Of the 1,181 young people who made use of this quota, 302 were successful in the recruitment competition for which they had claimed it
Key points
A year of community service which, twelve months on, increasingly leads to an employment contract or a post secured through a public sector recruitment competition. This is what emerges from the second survey on the outcomes of the Universal Civil Service, commissioned by the Minister for Sport and Young People, Andrea Abodi, through the Department for Youth Policies and the Universal Civil Service, and carried out at the end of 2025 on a sample of 8,975 young people, representing 17.4 per cent of the reference population – all former volunteers who had completed their service more than a year earlier.
Quotas for places in public sector recruitment competitions
The most concrete figure relates to the 15 per cent quota of posts in public sector recruitment competitions, introduced by Law No. 74 of 21 June 2023 for those who have completed the Universal Civil Service without any demerits. Two years after the legislation came into force, 85 per cent of those surveyed said they were aware of it, but only 13 per cent had already made use of it by entering a recruitment competition. Of the 1,181 young people who made use of the quota, 302 – 25.6 per cent – were successful in the recruitment process for which they had applied.
The decline in inactivity
On the employment front, 46 per cent of respondents state that they are in employment one year after the end of their service. The most marked change, however, concerns inactivity, which has plummeted from 3 per cent in 2024 to 0.4 per cent in 2025. The nature of employment contracts is also changing: the most precarious forms – fixed-term contracts, casual work and freelance work without a VAT number – are declining, whilst permanent contracts have risen from 13.5 per cent in 2024 to 18.1 per cent in 2025.
Job hunting
Young people recognise that the skills acquired during their service play a significant role in their job search: 72 per cent consider them useful in improving their employment prospects. The survey also interprets this figure in terms of civic awareness: for 35.8 per cent of respondents, the Civil Service programme has strengthened their perception of their role in improving living conditions within their local community; whilst for 29.5 per cent, it has encouraged greater participation in solidarity activities and support for people in need. Compared with traditional forms of volunteering, the survey also highlights an increase in activities aimed at promoting and protecting citizens’ rights.
‘Universal Civil Service: an experience that leaves a lasting mark’
“Universal Civil Service is an experience that leaves a lasting mark on the young men and women who decide to dedicate a year of their lives to serving the community,” said the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, emphasising that “the figures on the number of places reserved in public sector recruitment competitions” and “the increase in permanent contracts following completion of the service” are among the most significant indicators from the second survey.
