Employment and Investment in Italy’s Mezzogiorno: The Role of Northern and Central Italy’s Firms

The resources channelled into Southern Italy’s industrial plants from outside have remained substantial over the years, accounting for 20 per cent of the employees and 25 per cent of the investments. These flows are reconstructed drawing on the Bank of Italy’s Invind business surveys, and thereby filling a gap in the National Economic Accounts. The state aid poured into stimulating industrial development in the Mezzogiorno represents only a small part of the total investment and is of some moment only for the local firms in the South. With economic crisis the years 2007-2009 saw a reduced role played by the firms of Northern and Central Italy in the industrial development of the South.