At the height of summer, when the movement of goods and people reaches its seasonal peak, Italian logistics once again comes under the spotlight for a dual phenomenon: on the one hand, a steady increase in labour demand; on the other, growing difficulties for companies in finding suitably qualified personnel. This is confirmed by the Excelsior Bulletin for July 2025, part of the monthly surveys conducted by the Italian Chambers of Commerce system to monitor employment trends across businesses. The picture that emerges is one of a sector in full expansion. Forecasts for new hires in the month of July alone in the transport, logistics and warehousing services sector reach 35,470 positions, rising to over 102,000 across the July–September quarter.
Yet alongside this growth comes an intensification of recruitment challenges. The bulletin reports a national average difficulty rate of 45.4% for July, a figure that becomes even more concerning when broken down to the logistics sector. The logistics segment alone—which includes procurement, internal goods handling, transport and distribution—accounts for 11% of all projected entries for the month, totalling 64,590 new hires. Of these, nearly 50,000 relate to distribution and transport, where the difficulty in finding candidates nears 45%.
Among the most in-demand roles, drivers remain essential, with more than 27,600 planned entries. However, this category also shows one of the highest recruitment difficulties: 57.7%, rising to 61% when focusing on candidates under the age of thirty. The gravity of the situation is further underscored by figures for operators of earth-moving or goods-lifting machinery: nearly six thousand hires are projected for July, but the shortage of candidates reaches 60.1%. The problem extends even to lower-skilled roles: staff involved in moving and delivering goods account for over 25,000 open positions, with a recruitment difficulty of nearly 31%.
The mismatch between supply and demand becomes even more apparent in terms of training. For profiles requiring a three-year qualification or four-year vocational diploma, the “Logistics systems and services” specialisation is both the most sought-after (32% of positions) and the most critical: 68% of companies report difficulties in sourcing candidates with this educational background. The situation is no better for those holding a five-year diploma in “Transport and logistics”, required for 25% of roles at the same level: 40% of companies complain of a lack of candidates and 69% also demand prior experience, underlining how on-the-job learning has become an essential prerequisite.
Within the sector, specialised administrative roles in logistics management remain strategically important. Over 4,200 entries are forecast for July, but 34% of companies report difficulty in finding suitable candidates. Logistics thus remains a driving force for employment, yet risks losing momentum unless targeted training initiatives and active labour policies are introduced to keep pace with ongoing transformations.
