One in two workers want to change, but finding a new job is increasingly difficult

Almost one in two workers (52 per cent) globally plan to change jobs in 2026, but finding a new position has become increasingly difficult according to the social network LinkedIn, which has produced a new report on the market, with an in-depth look at the different generational approach: high competition, uncertainty regarding one's suitability for the roles available and the gap between the skills possessed and those required are the main factors complicating searches, according to two-thirds of the respondents involved. The Italian labour market remains dynamic but is perceived as increasingly complex by professionals, with workplaces now encompassing four different generations. While younger people look across borders for better opportunities, older professionals see this as a factor that can make a career change more difficult.

Dwelling on Italy, the number of professionals looking for a new job in Italy is 2 out of 5, 44%, compared to an almost similar percentage (46%) who say they have no plans for any professional change. The six out of ten workers who find it most difficult to find a new job in Italy speak of strong competition for available roles (44%) and selection processes being considered more rigid (36%). A feeling shared across generations, from the youngest to the baby boomers. "Today's labour market increasingly resembles a large roundabout, in which different flows, generations, skills and technology, continuously cross each other," comments Marcello Albergoni, Country Manager of LinkedIn Italy. "We now see that more than 6 out of 10 professionals find it more difficult to look for work than in the past, and this provides a clear direction: we need tools that make the path more legible, fairer and skills-based

Sensitivities and approaches to the labour market change across generations. For example, if we take Generation Z, more than 8 out of 10 young people said they had considered moving abroad for better career opportunities (81%), followed by about 2 out of 3 millennials (67%). This propensity decreases with age, but remains significant even among more mature professionals. Age is perceived as the strongest obstacle to restarting a career path to compete, despite established skills and experience.

Long and dispersed selection processes contribute to making job hunting a difficult undertaking: about half of the respondents believe that the processes have too many steps (50 per cent), while more than five out of ten say they fear scams or fake job advertisements (51 per cent). Almost half also state that the process has become too impersonal (49%). Many professionals also report poor feedback: almost 1 in 4 indicate very slow response times from recruiters (24%), while about 1 in 5 complain of 'ghosting', i.e. the total absence of confirmation of receipt of the application or feedback on the outcome of the process. Informal dynamics continue to dominate the labour market: more than 3 in 10 professionals believe that personal knowledge counts more than merit (32%), while only 1 in 5 believe that commitment and skills are always rewarded.