by Maximiliano Crocamo
The gender pay gap in Friuli Venezia Giulia remains one of the most persistent inequalities in the region’s labor market, with women earning nearly 30 percent less than men in the private sector, according to a new report released by Italy’s National Social Security Institute (INPS).
The report, presented in Trieste by INPS officials including national and regional leadership, outlines a detailed portrait of the region’s socio-economic landscape. It finds that despite women’s higher educational attainment and longer life expectancy, they continue to face disadvantages in employment, income, and pensions.
Women in Friuli Venezia Giulia earn an average of €76.40 per day in the private sector, compared with €108.60 for men. In the public sector, the average daily pay is €112 for women and €144 for men. The wage gap is accompanied by lower employment rates among women, higher concentrations in low-income and precarious sectors, and a greater prevalence of part-time contracts.
The disparity continues into retirement. Among public employees, men receive an average monthly pension of €2,794, while women receive €1,865. For self-employed workers, the gap widens further: men collect about €1,500 a month, compared with €807 for women. Women also represent the majority of recipients of unemployment benefits, with nearly 24,000 applications approved last year, compared with just over 18,000 from men.
The INPS analysis places these findings within a broader demographic shift. The population of Friuli Venezia Giulia is aging rapidly, with residents over 65 increasing and those under 30 declining. More elderly people live alone, and the number of families with children continues to fall, resulting in one couple with a child for every five households.
As the region’s population ages, the number of pensions continues to grow. In 2024, 19,707 new pensions were issued, slightly up from 19,581 the previous year. The total number of pensions in Friuli Venezia Giulia has reached 406,924, of which 228,664 are received by women and 178,260 by men. Additionally, 39,282 residents receive care allowances and 12,079 receive disability pensions.
While Friuli Venezia Giulia performs relatively well compared with national averages in several economic indicators, the persistence of gender-based disparities underscores the limits of progress toward equality. The report concludes that without coordinated policy efforts to address wage imbalances, employment instability, and unequal pension outcomes, the economic divide between men and women in the region is unlikely to narrow in the near future.
