IT ·
Italy: foreign graduates' employment rate falls to 68.4% as gap with Italians widens
New ISTAT data for 2025, published on 3 November 2026, show the employment rate of foreign graduates in Italy fell to 68.4% while that of Italian graduates rose to 86.3%. What it means for international workers with a degree.
What ISTAT found
Italy's national statistics office ISTAT published its report "Levels of education and occupational returns – Year 2025" on 3 November 2026, based on the 2025 labour force survey. In 2025 employment rose for both Italians and foreign citizens at every level of education, with one exception: foreign graduates. Their employment rate fell to 68.4% (−0.6 points), while for Italian graduates it rose to 86.3% (+0.6 points).
A gap that grows with education
The employment gap between Italians and foreign citizens is largest among graduates: 17.9 points, up 1.2 points on 2024. It is much smaller among people with an upper-secondary diploma and reverses in favour of foreign citizens among those with low qualifications. Foreign graduates even have a lower employment rate than foreign diploma holders (68.4% vs 70.7%).
Young people: NEET and early school leavers
According to the government's integration portal (Portale Integrazione Migranti), 23.8% of foreign 15–29-year-olds in Italy are NEET (not in employment, education or training), almost double the rate among young Italians (12.2%). Among foreign 18–24-year-olds, 26.2% are early leavers from education and training, against 6.7% among Italians.
What this means for international jobseekers
These are averages, not predictions about any individual. They do suggest that a degree alone does not guarantee a job matching your level in Italy. Before moving, check whether your qualification needs formal recognition for the job you want, what level of Italian the sector expects, and that you have a written job offer. Workers pay no recruitment fees through WorkMarket.eu. Every cross-border move or legal start of work needs individual human review; nothing in this article means you are automatically eligible for a job, visa or permit.
What is still unclear
ISTAT's release does not explain why the employment rate of foreign graduates fell. Possible factors such as language, recognition of qualifications or the sectors in which foreign workers are employed are not quantified in the summary we reviewed. The figures are annual averages for 2025 and may not reflect conditions in 2026.