Work, Italians' sense of emptiness: four out of ten feel replaceable by machines or AI

At the same time, a widespread difficulty in finding meaning in one's job emerges: 33% state that they feel at least occasionally that their work lacks meaning or purpose, while 16% experience this feeling frequently. This is also reflected in the perception, expressed by 28% of those interviewed, of feeling not at all or little involved in decisions concerning their work.

It gets better in terms of their relationship with the product of their work: while 19% state that they feel very or fairly disconnected from the final product of their work, possibly resulting in a loss of meaning and motivation, 45% feel fairly connected and 29% very connected.

And while work allows one to express one's true personality (for 66% of respondents), it seems to significantly affect personal balance. 41% say they feel 'drained' at the end of the working day (32% quite a bit, 9% completely), while 37% say they often experience emotional exhaustion. It is therefore not surprising that 54% of Italians feel more fulfilled in their activities outside work than at work.

On the work-life balance front, 29 per cent perceive negative interference of work on the family sphere, while a majority (71 per cent) believe they manage to maintain a good balance. Consistently, 71% state that work leaves room to cultivate fundamental dimensions of life such as affection, interests and personal growth.

Almost split down the middle are the opinions on the role of work as an answer to the question of the meaning of life: for 54% it is a contributing factor to this fundamental question, while the remaining 46% do not consider it decisive.

Regarding the values that should characterise work in the future, in first place are economic security and stability (53%), work-life balance (50%), psycho-physical well-being (42%), and recognition and appreciation of merit (33%).

Finally, 59% of respondents would be interested in working for a cooperative enterprise, citing the fact that workers are members and participate in business decisions (48%), greater attention to workers' welfare (33%) and the redistribution of profits to all (33%) as the main reasons. A sign of a growing attention towards organisational forms perceived as more inclusive and participatory.