Cgia: Southern Italy works a month less than the North as precarious and undeclared work weigh

Workers in Northern Italy worked nearly a month more than those in the South in 2024, according to figures from Cgia. The average stood at 255 working days a year in the North, compared with 228 in the Mezzogiorno, a difference of 27 days.

The divide also appeared in daily pay. Northern workers earned an average of 108 euros per day, against 80 euros in the South, a 36% gap. Productivity in the North was likewise 36% higher than in the Mezzogiorno.

Cgia said the figures reflect annual hours worked in relation to the number of people employed. The lower southern total is linked to the wider spread of precarious employment, more involuntary part-time work and a significant share of seasonal jobs. The calculation also excludes undeclared work, which Cgia said has a substantial presence in the South and involves hours that do not enter official totals.

Lecco recorded Italy's highest average number of paid working days, at 265.4, followed by Biella, Vicenza, Monza-Brianza and Lodi. The lowest figures came in Rimini, Nuoro and Vibo Valentia, where the average was 195 days.

The pay gap was particularly stark between cities. Milan recorded the highest average gross annual salary, at 35,670 euros, while Vibo Valentia had the lowest, at 13,885 euros. Reggio Calabria's average annual pay, just over 17,000 euros, was less than half Milan's. The national average was 24,486 euros. Cgia also said only 26% of private-sector employees, or 4.2 million workers, are covered by second-level collective bargaining.