Italy / Integration through Labour

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In Piedmont, as nearly everywhere else in Italy, the number of non-EC immigrants integrated in the local social fabric and economy is growing fast. An empirical survey on a sample of 262 Piedmontese industrial firms reveals how one firm in three employs non-EC immigrants, whereas six out of ten believe it is possible to open more space for the employment of non-EC immigrants. Besides the outright increase, a growing turnover is also being recorded. As a result, the level of academic qualifications and the vocational content of the jobs non-EC employees perform have clearly improved. It is increasingly evident that cultural integration is taking place through labour. Immigrant workers increasingly resemble local workers (in terms of trade union membership, for example), whereas intercultural clashes are practically non-existent. Last but not least, firms are increasingly demanding greater investment in the technical and vocational training of foreign labour.