1/6/2011 00:00:00
According to ISTAT in 2009, companies involved in industry and services were just under 4.5 million and employ a total of about 17.5 million people. 95% had fewer than 10 employees and employed 47% of total employment. Firms with no employees were around 3 million, representing 65.2% of total active enterprises. High concentration of workers in the manufacturing sector (23% of the total), the wholesale and retail trade (20%) and construction (11%). Two thirds of companies are individual and involve 25% of the employed, the other adopt, in the 18% of cases, the legal form of partnerships, in 17% of the corporation, while the remaining 1.1% are cooperative companies. Between 2008 and 2009 the number of companies decreased by 1% and the relevant employment by 2%. Industry reduces all manufacturing (-4.5% firms and -5.4% employment). The only increases regard the utilities sector, companies providing electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning (+19.6% firms and +1% occupation ) and companies supplying water, sewerage, waste treatment and restoration activities (+3.6% both for firms and employment). Also the decrease in construction business and employment is consistent (respectively -1.8% and -5%). Loss also appears in the trade (-2.6% and -1.1%) and many service sectors such as transportation and warehousing (-3.5% and -2.6%). Among the exceptions, we highlight the financial and insurance activities (+9.6% +0.6% for business and employment) and real estate (+4.1% for both).
