SEASONAL LACKS: RASIZZA (ASSOSOMM), 'REGULAR RECRUITMENTS GROWING WITH AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES'

of recent days the alarm, reported by various newspapers, launched by entrepreneurs and Coldiretti due to the difficulty of finding personnel willing to work in the countryside, particularly the Calabrian ones, just on the eve of the citrus and olive harvest season. Every year companies find themselves struggling to find few skilled laborers and workers, all because of "perceived degrading employment". Rosario Rasizza, President of ASSOSOMM, the Italian Association of Employment Agencies, intervenes on the issue: « The labor market in the agricultural and agri-food sector is certainly not easy to approach: as President of ASSOSOMM, however, I feel I can point out a progressive improvement in the ability of Employment Agencies to serve the territory through growing hiring, regular by law. In the last three years, synergies with associations, employment centres, municipalities and cooperatives have grown, especially with regards to contact and job placement of foreign staff and refugees. We are proud to be able to say that where we enter the game, the underground economy is in check, with no type of illegal agreement, including the sad phenomenon of gangmastering. Our Agencies - continues Rasizza - are active in all the Regions, and mainly in the fruit and vegetable, horticultural and wine sectors, as well as the food industry and in forest maintenance and public green areas. 52% of the people hired in the aforementioned areas are of Italian nationality. Those under 30 represent 28.2% of the total, people between 30 and 50 amount to 46.7% and those over 50 are 25.09%. A third of those hired are women ", concludes Rosario Rasizza, President of ASSOSOMM.