Falling birth rates, an aging population, and increasing difficulty in finding workers: the phenomenon is already a reality. A comparison between the public and private sectors reveals data, critical issues, and initial solutions involving structural policies, talent attraction, and innovative integration models.
This is not a distant prospect, but an ongoing reality that risks profoundly redefining labor, the economy, and society. The decline in births, the aging population, and the growing difficulty in sourcing skilled labor were the focus of the conference "Demographic Winter: Turning the Challenge into Value," promoted by the Ceccarelli Group and hosted today, April 9, at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine.
The event was a participatory and multidisciplinary discussion that brought together institutions, businesses, academia, healthcare, and social sectors. The objective was to analyze a now-structural phenomenon and identify shared solutions. The morning was rich with insights, highlighting how the demographic issue permeates every area of society and requires integrated responses capable of combining public policy, social responsibility, and entrepreneurial innovation.
Leading the debate was Sebastiano Barisoni, Executive Deputy Director and host of Focus Economia on Radio 24, who immediately emphasized the scale of the problem.
"We are no longer simply talking about a demographic winter," he observed in his introduction, "but a literal glaciation. We have fallen below 350,000 births, and the risk is reaching a point of no return because the fertile base is progressively shrinking; we will begin to see the effects in a few years." This picture is made even more complex by a context where, despite increased life expectancy, there are no concrete signs of a reversal in birth rates. "The only good news," he added, "is that we are living longer. But without new births, this further increases the imbalances." For the journalist, "Italy's substantially stable population figure is due to migratory flows, but it is urgent to rethink immigration policies in a more economic and functional key for the production system."
Public policy plays a fundamental role here. Regional Councilor for Labor, Training, and Education Alessia Rosolen illustrated the path taken by Friuli Venezia Giulia, emphasizing the will to address the issue with structural, long-term tools.
"We have not surrendered to demographic decline," she explained. "From 2018 to today, we have moved from 17 million to over 117 million euros allocated to family policies. We have worked on free nurseries, expanding services to reach 45% coverage, as well as tools like the 'Family Endowment' and 'School Endowment'."
This system, she continued, accompanies individuals throughout their life cycle until they enter the workforce, with significant investments in the university system and vocational training. "These are not spot measures, but policies that must be continuous and interconnected with the productive world." The issue of retaining young people in the region is also central: "For years, we lost thousands of graduates. Today, we are working to create conditions that keep them here or bring them back."
The demographic framework was further explored by Alessio Fornasin, professor and researcher at the University of Udine, who called for a realistic, long-term interpretation. "We must resign ourselves to the fact that the number of births will remain low," he explained. "The real problem is structural and concerns fertility. We will see the effects of the choices we make today in twenty years." This necessitates bipartisan, stable policies capable of transcending political contingencies.
Fornasin also pointed out that Friuli Venezia Giulia maintains relative demographic stability thanks to migratory flows—both from abroad and from other Italian regions—but warned against localized strategies that risk merely moving the problem without solving it.
The topic was also addressed from a social and cultural perspective. Monsignor Dino Bressan, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Udine, drew attention to a progressive change in mentality: "Over the years, a disaffection toward childbirth has developed. The best contraceptive today is anxiety, fueled by widespread insecurity and fear. We need to recover a culture of family and the future." This aspect intersects with the worlds of work and education. "We taught new generations not to get their hands dirty, yet today we complain if manual professional figures are missing. We need a change in perspective regarding the value of sacrifice and responsibility."
From a healthcare standpoint, Silvio Brusaferro, Professor of General and Applied Hygiene, focused on quality of life rather than just its duration: "We live longer, but the real challenge is living better. Today, the average lifespan without disability is about 58 years. This has a massive impact on quality of life, as well as on health and care services. Therefore, the importance we place on prevention is fundamental." Brusaferro also highlighted the increase in lonely and fragile individuals and the resulting need to strengthen assistance networks, including through new migration policies: "We need skills and policies that incentivize professional vocations, especially for jobs that may be less attractive. And," he concluded, "integration policies are vital, because assisting fragile people requires effective and empathetic communication."
Concrete testimony from the business world came from Dario Roncadin, CEO of Roncadin Spa, a giant in the production and marketing of frozen pizzas based in Meduno (PN), who highlighted how the labor shortage is now a global challenge.
"The competition for labor is international," he explained. "Even in the United States, we struggle to find staff and must attract workers from abroad. The only way to be competitive is to offer growth prospects and a dynamic environment." This issue particularly affects peripheral areas: "We operate in a foothills area and work to attract people to the territory. Today, offering a job is no longer enough; you must offer a life project."
Closing the conference was the President of Ceccarelli Group, Luca Ceccarelli, who reiterated the need for an active role for businesses. "The risk is that we realize the scale of the phenomenon too late," he emphasized. "The demographic winter is already a reality, and we must face it as an emergency." Ceccarelli reaffirmed that companies can and must become protagonists of change by investing in sustainability, ethics, and attractiveness. "Today, people choose organizations that are transparent, respectful, and capable of offering quality of work and life."
During his speech, Ceccarelli illustrated some initiatives launched by the group, including the drafting of their first sustainability report, the creation of the Ceccarelli Foundation, and innovative labor integration projects.
Among these was a case study detailing a concrete response to labor shortages through the involvement of the Filipino community. The project, developed in collaboration with a major industrial client in Ovaro, combined production needs with social sustainability. It involved both the placement of workers in the logistics sector and the renovation and repurposing of an abandoned home to accommodate them. This model did not stop at recruitment but aimed for integration through language training and active inclusion in the local community, also contributing to the repopulation of marginal areas.
Alongside this, work initiated with the Argentine community was mentioned, which has already led to the hiring of several qualified drivers. This initiative is part of a broader vision of attracting skills from abroad by building structured relationships with foreign territories and institutions.
"We believe in a model where the business returns value to the territory," he concluded. "Only by working together, public and private, can we transform this challenge into a concrete opportunity."
