Work: one in three Italians still think about resigning, one in two among Gen Z

More than one in three workers, 36%, still plan to leave their jobs within the next six months. After the boom of post-pandemic resignations, the desire to change occupation slows down, but remains high according to the Global Talent Barometer by ManpowerGroup. A figure that sees 63% of Italians consider their job positive, a figure below the 67% found globally and with one in two, 53%, describing themselves as stressed by work.

"The relationship between people and companies is evolving rapidly. To retain the best employees, in a situation of increasing talent shortage and skills mismatch, salary alone is no longer enough. People expect work to offer them something more: more balance, more opportunities, more empathy," are the issues that remain at the centre of the debate, emphasises Anna Gionfriddo, ad ManpowerGroup Italia. "Although 75% of people in Italy find a purpose in their work, our Global Talent Barometer data shows that this alone is not enough to retain talent. Organisations that manage to create people-friendly environments will not only retain the best talent, but also drive innovation," he says.

57% trust that their interests in career development are protected by company managers. This is low compared to other international contexts, with 48% believing that they will be able to find a job in line with their needs within six months. 68% of talents claim to have the opportunity to improve their skills in the company to advance their job position, but only 53% believe they actually have the chance to get a promotion. And that leaves one in four Italians (27%) who do not feel secure in their jobs and fear that within six months they will be forced to leave.

At a territorial level, according to ManpowerGroup's Global Talent Barometer, the percentage of people who say they fear having to leave their job is higher in the South and Islands (30%) and in the Centre (29%) than in the Northwest (24%) and Northeast (22%). On the contrary, in the Central regions there is a high perception of being able to improve one's skills (77%) and career (61%), while the lowest perception of improvement is in the Northeast for both skills (63%) and career (46%).

Perception also changes according to age. Generation Z declare themselves the most stressed (57%) and by far the most likely to change jobs of their own choosing in the coming months (49%). They are also those who find it most difficult to find meaning and purpose in their work (63%). The Millennial generation on the other hand (28-43 years old) is the one that sees the most career possibilities (60%). Regarding individual sectors, the most stressed are workers in services (61%) and healthcare (59%), while the least stressed are in transport, logistics and automotive with 38%. Workers in the latter sector are also the least likely to change jobs spontaneously in the short term (15%), while in consumer goods and services one in two intends to do so (50%).