Working Poverty in Italy: When a Salary is No Longer Enough to Live On
In Italy, there is increasing talk of "working poverty," a phenomenon that concerns experts and families alike. This term describes the situation of many citizens who, despite having regular employment, are unable to cover basic expenses. Regardless of whether they work full-time or part-time, their salary remains below a critical threshold, making it difficult to make ends meet in a dignified manner.
According to recent analyses, the risk of poverty is often measured through a specific threshold: 60% of the national median income. Those who earn less than this amount are technically considered at risk of social exclusion. In Italy, this problem affects a significant portion of the active population, highlighting a sharp imbalance between the rising cost of living and current wages, which have remained almost stagnant in recent years.
There are two main causes for this situation: excessively low wages and contractual precariousness. Many workers have short-term, seasonal, or on-call contracts that offer no economic stability. Furthermore, recent inflation has drastically reduced the purchasing power of families, making even average salaries insufficient to cope with the rising costs of rent, utilities, and food.
Working poverty does not only have economic consequences; it also has a profound impact on people's social lives. Those living in this condition face great difficulty in planning for the future, such as buying a home or starting a family. This constant uncertainty creates significant psychological pressure and increases inequality within society, dividing citizens between those with economic security and those who must struggle daily for survival.
Addressing the problem of working poverty has become one of the main challenges for Italian politics and trade unions. Many experts suggest that urgent interventions are necessary, such as the introduction of a legal minimum wage or structural reforms to reduce precarious contracts. Only through a change in the labor market will it be possible to ensure that employment once again becomes a true instrument of well-being and stability for everyone.