55% of Italians want a 4-day work week: survey

A clear majority of Italians would favor the introduction of a four-day work week even if it came with a pay cut, Italian media reported on Monday, citing a fresh survey on the latest trends in the job market, reported Xinhua.

Fifty-five percent of Italians would be ready to earn less to benefit from one extra day off, and the figure is 62 percent among people aged 25 to 34, the survey showed.

Local media said the survey results will be officially presented on Tuesday at the 10th ASSIRM Marketing Research Forum in Milan organized by Italy's largest business and employers group Confindustria.

The research was commissioned by Confindustria and carried out by ASSIRM, an association representing the country's main market research consulting firms.

The researchers found that 63 percent of people nurtured new expectations about work. Flexible working hours and remote working were perceived as "a given" among younger employees, but still seen as a "benefit" by older workers.

"A new attitude and a different sense of purpose are today marking the labor market, and this represents both a complexity to be managed, and an enrichment and intrinsic resource," ASSIRM President Matteo Lucchi said in a statement.

In terms of priorities, the survey found that 61 percent of the respondents still looked for a good salary, while 58 percent also looked for fair treatment, as well as a pleasant and interesting working environment.

A good life-work balance and opportunities to grow professionally were the two main factors making most people happy with their current position, while low pay and stressful working conditions were identified as the top reasons for being unhappy.

The survey also revealed that the sectors Italian workers found most attractive were information technology and digital services (38 percent), marketing (34 percent) and communication (30 percent).

Italy, the third-largest economy in the eurozone, has an aging population and a high youth unemployment rate of 21.9 percent in September. Earlier this year, Confindustria highlighted that the mismatch between labor supply and demand has doubled compared to the pre-pandemic period.