REGIONE EMILIA ROMAGNA - AGENZIA REGIONALE LAVORO

Welcome to Emilia-Romagna !

Ready to give your career a boost in one of Italy’s most innovative regions? Emilia-Romagna is the perfect place for you!

This region blends tradition and innovation, offering a unique work environment and exciting growth opportunities.

Work with iconic brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Ducati, or join leading companies in the agri-food, healthcare, ceramics, fashion and technology sectors.

Enjoy the Italian lifestyle, its culture and cuisine, while developing your professional skills.

It’s time to make Emilia-Romagna your new home and workplace.

Don’t wait — your future in Italy starts here!

 

Emilia-Romagna: the region

The Emilia-Romagna region is located in Northeastern Italy.

It includes the Metropolitan City of Bologna and the eight Provinces of Piacenza, Parma, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Ferrara, Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena, Rimini.

With 4,482,977 inhabitants and 22,509.67 km², it is the sixth-largest Italian region by area.

The Roman road Via Emilia splits the region's territory into two main areas of roughly equal size: the flat Northeastern area and the hilly and mountainous Southwestern area.

 

Agenzia Regionale Lavoro Emilia Romagna – ARL -  Centri per l’impiego dell’Emilia-Romagna

The Regional Employment Agency – ARL - together with the related 38 local Employment Centres, spread across the region, has the following organizational structure.

ARL manages and coordinates the Regional Network of Employment Centres, as well as the active labour market Measures and Services for employment.

The Public Employment Centres in Emilia-Romagna provides qualified and personalized services to jobseekers, employees and even employers. 

All the services provided to Jobseekers and Employers are free of charge. See the link n° 1 on the right.

Job vacancies available at Site Lavoro per te See the link n° 1 *on the right.

 

ARL to JOBSEEKERS

• Information on the labour market and training and job opportunities
• Career Guidance skills analysis and definition of a personalized career path
• Job matching job and internship offers consulting and applications;
• Targeted Placement (L. 68/1999) information, registration, career guidance, job placement and support for people with disabilities and those belonging to protected categories;
• Internship information on opportunities in the area, support in the administrative procedures
• Self-Employment Support information and guidance for business setting and managing; developing a solid business idea and plan, market research, funding, and business structure
• Integrated Services (L.R. 14/2015) for vulnerable individuals to facilitate job placement and re-placement through intensive multiprofessional job search program
• Newsletter: regular updates for jobseekers on labour market trends and opportunities.

 

ARL to EMPLOYERS

• Information and Guidance on benefits, contribution and tax deduction for hiring staff; procedures for mandatory electronic communications
• Job Matching recruitment with online editing of job/internship offers and pre-selection of candidates based on qualifications, training, education and skills
• Local Marketing activities in the companies to promote Employment Centre services and identify company hiring needs
• Newsletter specific newsletter to companies and private employers on the labour market trends
• Targeted Placement (L. 68/1999) information, guidance and staff searching for the job placement of disabled people and those registered in the protected categories
• Internship information, guidance, promotion, and signing of the agreement; support in the administrative procedures

 

The EURES service in Emilia Romagna

• The EURES service is guaranteed in almost all PES in Emilia Romagna providing general information on professional mobility, career guidance, information on job opportunities in EU countries and EU programs that promote mobility and staff recruitment for EU companies
• In Emilia-Romagna, there are four EURES Advisers and 35 Assistants. See the link n° 4 on the right.

 

Emilia-Romagna: economy

The regional economy is strongly oriented toward international markets and is characterized by a high rate of entrepreneurship, a solid manufacturing sector, a high level of innovation and per-capita wealth  above the Italian and European average.

Each province has its own specializations, which make the regional economy diversified and resilient.

Emilia-Romagna is also known as Italy’s Data Valley and a leading hub for big data. In 2022 the Leonardo supercomputer was inaugurated in Bologna, one of the eight that make up the European computing network. See the video n° 3 on the right.

Bologna is also an important hub for advanced mechanics and, together with Modena, Reggio Emilia and Parma, is part of the “Motor Valley”, world-renowned for luxury automobile and motorcycle brands  such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Ducati.

These provinces are also excellence centres  for high-quality agri-food industry, known as the “ Food Valley”. Bologna and Mirandola also host technology and biomedical clusters

The Region is moreover focused  on the Fashion Valley. The fashion sector plays an important role through Emilia-Romagna manufacturing. The project enhances Made in Italy products, experience and know-how and boost the skills across the entire supply chain.

This unique characteristic enables cross-sector interactions among industries, including tourism. The territory is also attractive from a tourism standpoint thanks to the presence of strong brands.

Rimini and the whole Romagna Riviera stand out their vibrant tourism offer, Ravenna hosts the region’s only commercial port — one of the most important on the Adriatic — Ferrara is characterized by its agricultural vocation and its cultural- tourism supply — Piacenza  is centre of a significant logistics hub. 

 

Education and Training

Emilia-Romagna is at the forefront of education and vocational training.

The network is coordinated by the Region and funded with regional, national and European resources (ESF+).

It is a highly integrated, work-oriented model that aims to provide young people and adults with the technical, digital and scientific skills required by local and international companies through the Regional Polytechnic Network. See the link n° 9 on the right.

The Emilia-Romagna Polytechnic Network is an integrated system of post-diploma training pathways with practical training and company internships, designed to provide students and professionals with the skills most in demand in the labour market. It includes: 

• Two-year ITS Academy courses (Higher Technical Institutes) : post-secondary programmes that train highly specialized technicians in the strategic sectors of the regional economy. See the link n° 6 on the right.
• One-year IFTS courses (Higher Technical Education and Training): pathways that combine theoretical lessons, laboratories and company placements.The IFTS certificate is recognised nationally and across Europe.
• Short professional specialization training courses, aimed to achieve specific technical skills. 

 

Emilia‑Romagna: Labour Market - Employment, needs and contractual trends 

1: Employment

Emilia‑Romagna is the leading Italian region for innovation and ranks first for export per capita. See the link n° 14 on the right. 

With 4,482,977 inhabitants as of 1 January 2025, Emilia‑Romagna represents about 7.6% of Italy’s population.

The report of the labour market in Emilia‑Romagna, updated to the second quarter of 2025 and drawn from new ISTAT data, shows an increase in the number of employed people (+1.6%) but also an increase in job seekers (+22.3%).

The regional employment rate (ages 20–64) stands at 76.9%.

The activity rate in Emilia‑Romagna (ages 20–64) reaches 80.5%, the second‑highest value in Italy, and well above the national average (72.5%).

The unemployment rate (ages 15–74) has risen to 4.5% after a period of decline (it was 3.7% in Q2 2024), remaining among the lowest in Italy.

Self‑employed workers number about 448,000, an increase of 45,000 compared with Q2 2024 (+11.2%).

By gender dynamics (ages 20–64), both the male rate (from 82.8% to 83.8%) and the female rate (from 67.9% to 69.8%) have increased.

From July 2023 to June 2024 there were 972,712 hires, concentrated mainly in the agri‑food and tourism sectors, followed by construction.

The regional employment balance for mid‑2025 is driven by the provinces of Parma, Rimini and Ravenna.

The number of inactive people of working age is decreasing  (‑5.8%), indicating greater willingness to enter or re‑enter the labour market. Indicators therefore confirm increases in both the activity and employment rates, alongside a rise in the unemployment rate.

At the sectoral level, regional employment is supported by services, construction, agriculture, commerce, and hotel and restaurant activities. See the link n° 2 on the right.

2: Labour market needs

Unioncamere  estimates that, over the next five years Italian companies and the Public Administration will need to hire between 3.3 and 3.7 million people, 74% in the services sector. 

The highest demand is recorded in personal services (757,000–826,000), sector that exceed the requirement of the entire industrial sector narrowly defined. Advanced business support services account for more than 10% of labour demand within the services sector, while the most knowledge‑intensive services (ICT) remain marginal (around 3%).

Education and career guidance: strategic levers to reduce mismatch 

At least 37% of needs will concern university graduates, especially in STEM fields, and graduates from highly technologically specialized institutes. Nearly half of the estimated job openings will be filled by graduates of technical‑vocational schools.

In Emilia‑Romagna a demand of between 275,000 and 313,000 workers is forecast for 2025–2029 (about 8.4% of the national need).

Driving sectors are:

• Services — commerce, tourism, healthcare, education, culture, consulting.
• Industry — mechatronics, robotics, biomedical, agri‑food.

About 74% of the demand is estimated to be concentrated in services.

Regarding the most requested occupations, the Excelsior 2025–2029 Report highlights strong demand in low‑ and medium‑skilled services (e.g., personal care, commerce, tourism); skilled workers, especially in the metal‑mechanical sector; technicians and engineers in mechanical, electronic, chemical and management fields; health and social professions (nurses, social and health workers, physiotherapists); and ICT specialists (analysts, developers, cybersecurity experts).

The professional profiles sought by Emilia‑Romagna companies operate in the specialization areas identified by the Region.

The Smart Specialization Strategy has identified 15 priority thematic areas and 8 strategic specialization domains: agri‑food; construction and building; mechatronics and motor systems; health and wellness industries; cultural and creative industries; service innovation; digital and logistics; energy and sustainable development; tourism. Two additional high‑potential development areas have been added: the space economy and large critical or complex infrastructure. See the link n° 8 on the right.

3: Contract types and trends 

Employment contracts most used in Emilia‑Romagna in 2025

• Fixed‑term — the most widespread form, especially in commerce, tourism and personal services.
• Permanent — increasing, thanks to a rise in conversions from fixed‑term contracts.
• Apprenticeship — used mainly for young people under 30 in artisanal and manufacturing sectors.
• Intermittent and agency work — heavily employed during seasonal peaks (agriculture, logistics, catering).
• Part‑time — rising, particularly among women and in the services sector.

 

Skills Intelligence Emilia‑Romagna

Skills Intelligence Emilia‑Romagna is an advanced data‑collection tool that identifies skills and professional profiles emerging from online job advertisements.

 THE AIM

The tool displays interactive data on skills and professional profiles sought by Emilia‑Romagna companies operating within the regional Smart Specialization Strategy. Specifically, in the identified productive areas — agri‑food, building and construction, energy and sustainability, culture and creativity, health and wellness, service innovation, mechatronics and automotive, big data, tourism.

THE METHOD

Starting from online job ads, the interactive skills‑intelligence tool uses AI and machine learning to extract and analyze data on skills and professional profiles sought by employers in Emilia‑Romagna.

THE USERS 

Universities, training providers and organisations that need to update or create training pathways, as well as those pursuing upskilling and reskilling aligned with the labour market, can use Skills Intelligence Emilia‑Romagna as an advanced instrument to analyse existing skills needs.

The tool consists of 3 areas:

• HIRES - data on dependent employment hirings referring to the previous year, extracted from SILER, the Labour Information System of the Emilia-Romagna Region, in collaboration with the Regional Employment Agency.
• JOB ADS - data relating to online job advertisements posted in Emilia-Romagna over the past 12 months.
• DEMAND FORECASTS - data relating to planned recruitments declared by companies in Emilia-Romagna, extracted from the Excelsior information system of Unioncamere. 

Governance, funding and partners

Skills Intelligence Emilia-Romagna is an initiative of the Emilia-Romagna Region also in implementation of Article 7 of Law 2/2023 “Attraction, retention and enhancement of highly specialized talents in Emilia-Romagna”, carried out by ART-ER “Attrattività Ricerca Territorio”, with the support of the European Social Fund+ 2021-2027 and in collaboration with the Regional Employment Agency, Unioncamere Emilia-Romagna, Clust-ER associations, the Big Data association, MUNER and with technical support from Lightcast. See the link n° 7 on the right.

 

More than just work: Emilia‑Romagna is the land of hospitality and warm welcome! 

Culture, Music and Theatres 

Emilia‑Romagna is rich in culture, boasting one of Italy’s most important artistic and musical heritages. The region gave birth to great composers such as Giuseppe Verdi and Arturo Toscanini. The tenor Luciano Pavarotti was from Emilia too!

The region hosts prestigious music festivals, historic theatres and cultural institutions. Highlights include the Teatro Comunale in Bologna, one of Italy’s oldest theatres; the Teatro Regio in Parma, renowned for opera; the Ravenna Festival, which blends music, dance and theatre; and the MEI (Meeting of Independent Record Labels) in Faenza, dedicated to independent music. The region is also home to numerous museums, art galleries, historic libraries and cultural centres. Its vibrant music scene ranges from classical to jazz, rock and electronic music, with events year‑round. See the link n° 13 on the right.

Gastronomy and Popular Traditions 

Emilia‑Romagna is world‑famous for its culinary excellence and iconic products such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, Aceto Balsamico di Modena, Mortadella di Bologna and handmade pasta (tagliatelle, tortellini, lasagne). The regional cuisine embodies conviviality, quality and tradition, with recipes passed down through generations and a strong food culture rooted in the land. Popular traditions are celebrated through local festivals, food fairs, historical reenactments and folkloric events, including the Palio of Ferrara, the Festa Artusiana in Forlimpopoli and numerous wine and food sagre across the region. See the video n° 11 on the right.

Modern Music and Contemporary Scenes 

Beyond its classical and operatic legacy, Emilia‑Romagna is a lively hub for modern music. Artists such as Vasco Rossi, Zucchero, Lucio Dalla, Laura Pausini, Ligabue and Cesare Cremonini started here, shaping Italy’s contemporary musical landscape. The region hosts clubs, festivals and venues dedicated to contemporary, electronic, indie and urban music. Bologna is recognized as a UNESCO City of Music for its alternative scene, independent labels, local radio and production centres. Events like Ferrara Sotto le Stelle, Robot Festival (electronic music and digital arts) and the Porretta Soul Festival draw audiences from across Europe, reinforcing the region’s role as a cultural and musical crossroads. 

 

Additional sources

• The labor market in Emilia-Romagna in the second quarter of 2025:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oV1s-Hy7AG_wm_hk6s_RzXgStfupJ_6B/view
• Overview of trends in dependent employment in Emilia-Romagna:  https://www.agenzialavoro.emr.it/notizie/2025/online-la-nuova-nota-di-sintesi-sulle-dinamiche-del-lavoro-dipendente-in-emilia-romagna
• Creative Cities Network | UNESCO: https://www.unesco.org/en/creative-cities
• Forecasts of occupational and professional needs in Italy in the medium term (2025–2029) | Source Excelsior:  https://excelsior.unioncamere.net/pubblicazioni/2025/previsioni-dei-fabbisogni-occupazionali-e-professionali-italia-medio-termine
• Labor Market Observatory : https://www.agenzialavoro.emr.it/analisi-mercato-lavoro/skills-intelligence-emilia-romagna