Decree Law on Cohesion: Updates on Employment Matters
The new Decree Law No. 60 of May 7, 2024, published in the Official Gazette No. 105/2024, introduces several urgent measures to support employment and cohesion policies in Italy. The decree aims to foster self-employment, promote youth and female employment, particularly in the South, invest in skill development for workers from large companies in crisis, and leverage technology through the SIISL platform. This initiative aligns with the revision of the PNRR to accelerate and strengthen the implementation of the 2021-2027 cohesion policy interventions aimed at reducing territorial disparities.
Over €2.8 billion is allocated for employment promotion through the National Program for Youth, Women, and Work 2021-2027 and Measure 5 of the PNRR dedicated to active policies linked to the GOL Program (Guarantee of Employment for Workers). Additional resources are earmarked for retraining workers from large enterprises in crisis.
Promotion of Self-Employment
This measure targets autonomous work, liberal professions, and business activities through two initiatives: Self-Employment Central-Northern Italy and “Resto al Sud 2.0”. Beneficiaries include young people under 35 facing marginalization, social vulnerability, and discrimination, as well as the unemployed, inactive, or those receiving active labor policy measures under the GOL program. Funding is available for training services, preliminary design assistance, skill enhancement tutoring, and investment support via vouchers and de minimis interventions. The Ministry of Labor and Social Policies, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of European Affairs, South, Cohesion, and PNRR, will define the modalities and terms for these initiatives.
Incentives for Self-Employment in Strategic Sectors
Unemployed individuals under 35 who start an entrepreneurial activity in strategic sectors for new technologies and digital and ecological transition between July 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025, can apply for a 100% exemption from employer social security contributions, capped at €800 per month per worker (excluding INAIL premiums and contributions). This exemption is available for up to 3 years and no later than December 31, 2028. Additionally, these enterprises can request a €500 monthly contribution from INPS for up to 3 years, not later than December 31, 2028.
Youth Bonus
This measure offers private employers a 100% exemption from social security contributions for hiring non-managerial staff under 35 on permanent contracts from September 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025. The exemption is capped at €500 per month per worker, increasing to €650 for positions in Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Basilicata, Sicily, Puglia, Calabria, and Sardinia. The exemption does not apply to domestic or apprenticeship contracts.
Women’s Bonus
This measure provides a 100% exemption from social security contributions for hiring women on permanent contracts from September 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025. The exemption is capped at €650 per month per worker and applies to women who have been without a regular job for at least 6 months in the South or 24 months nationwide. The exemption does not apply to domestic or apprenticeship contracts.
ZES (Special Economic Zone) Bonus
This measure offers a 100% exemption from social security contributions for hiring non-managerial staff over 35 on permanent contracts from September 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025, in the Special Economic Zone of the South. The exemption is capped at €650 per month per worker and is available to private employers with up to 10 employees. The hired employee must be over 35, unemployed for at least 24 months, and employed in the ZES.
NASPI Recipients Registration in SIISL and Modifications to the Information System for Social and Labor Inclusion (SIISL)
The measures include the automatic registration of NASPI and DIS-COLL recipients on the SIISL platform. A specific decree from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies will outline how employers can post vacancies on SIISL and allow voluntary access for job seekers. The SIISL will also integrate vacancies from national and international public platforms and use artificial intelligence to match job offers and seekers, ensuring compliance with current legislation.
These measures are designed to boost employment, support vulnerable groups, and ensure effective implementation of the PNRR’s cohesion policies.