Decrease in Unnecessary Layoffs within Lombardy Area
Lombardy, Italy's economic powerhouse, has witnessed a significant shift in its employment landscape in 2024, according to recent data. The voluntary turnover rate, a key indicator of employee retention and satisfaction levels, dropped from 6.4% in the previous year to 5.4% in 2024, marking a notable improvement.
This decrease could be a positive sign of improved employee satisfaction and retention in the region. The voluntary turnover rate, calculated as the ratio between the number of workers who resigned during the year and the total of those on staff at the end of the previous year, has shown a notable improvement compared to the previous year.
Prior to 2024, the voluntary turnover rate had been consistently growing for four years. However, the surge in the voluntary turnover rate in Lombardy in the biennium post Covid 2021-2022 seems to have slowed down, and in 2024, it experienced a strong reduction.
The growth of the voluntary turnover rate has also slowed down in 2024 and experienced a strong reduction in 2025, returning to physiological levels. This trend suggests that Lombardy's employers are taking steps to address employee retention issues and foster a more stable workforce.
In 2025, 77% of the companies interviewed in Lombardy conducted at least one job search, indicating a competitive labor market. To a lesser extent, Lombard companies look for externally trained figures to be permanently inserted into the staff. To address these difficulties, Lombard companies primarily invest in training existing staff (55%).
The labor market in Lombardy is characterised by increasing employment and active recruitment, particularly in financial and high-value manufacturing sectors. This trend, coupled with moderate increases in personnel costs, likely contributes to improving entry-level salaries for new graduates.
In 2025, entry-level salaries for newly graduated personnel in Lombardy are as follows: almost 26,800 euros for those with a three-year degree, 27,400 euros for humanities, 27,800 euros for economic-juridical, and 29,000 euros for technical-scientific degrees.
While specific turnover rates or job search trends in Lombardy are not detailed, Milan as Lombardy's economic hub is home to many financial and insurance companies, implying robust hiring activity. The banking and financial sectors in Italy are expanding personnel numbers to attract high-quality talent, indicating a competitive labor market with possibly higher turnover or active recruitment, especially in sales, corporate & investment banking (CIB), and wealth management (WM) areas.
In conclusion, the labor market in Lombardy in 2024-2025 is characterised by increasing employment and active recruitment, particularly in financial and high-value manufacturing sectors, leading to moderate increases in personnel costs and likely improving entry-level salaries for new graduates. Direct, specific statistics for turnover rates and exact salary figures would require targeted regional labor market reports or surveys not included in the current sources.
In light of the decreasing voluntary turnover rate in Lombardy, it appears that businesses in the region may be focusing more on employee retention, potentially resulting in improved working conditions and job security. Further, the growth in employment and active recruitment, particularly in the financial sector, suggests that businesses are investing in their workforce, possibly leading to increased competition for financial talent, and potentially higher turnover rates.
