More jobs but fewer hours worked last year says govt report

(ANSA) - Rome, February 25 - The number of people in work in Italy surpassed the pre-crisis level by 125,000 last year, although the number of work hours was actually 1.8 million less than in 2008, according to a government report released on Monday. The report, prepared by the labour ministry and several government agencies, said that this is because Italy has experienced a recovery of "low labour intensity" with more people in jobs but working fewer hours. It said that, in 2017, almost one in four people, 5.7 million, were overqualified for their jobs. It added that the number of people emigrating from Italy for work went from 40,000 in 2008 to nearly 115,000 in 2017. The report said the proportion of foreigners among the total of people in work in Italy went from 7.1% in 2008 to 10.6% in 2018. It linked this to the increase of less-qualified work on the labour market, saying they often went to migrants more willing to accept jobs that are unpleasant or less specialized.