The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development published an assessment finding that Veneto’s labor productivity fell 12 percentage points behind 11 comparable European regions between 2005 and 2024. GDP per capita grew 5.5% over the period, compared with 22% among peers. Veneto maintained its competitiveness increasingly through wage moderation, with its average compensation gap relative to peers widening from 28% in 2005 to 37% in 2024. The assessment links the productivity shortfall to weak investment, low foreign direct investment, a scarcity of highly productive large manufacturers and limited use of skilled workers. It recommends an integrated foreign direct investment strategy, closer integration of manufacturing with advanced services, wider business access to research infrastructure and more formal recruitment to improve worker-firm matching. Targeted coaching and retraining should also support workers exposed to the green transition and artificial intelligence, including the quarter of Veneto’s workforce in jobs vulnerable to the green transition.
2026-09-10OECD
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development identifies Veneto productivity gap of 12 percentage points and recommends investment and skills reforms
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found that Veneto’s labor productivity fell 12 percentage points behind comparable European regions between 2005 and 2024. It recommends stronger foreign direct investment policies, manufacturing upgrades, better use of research and skilled workers, and targeted retraining for workers exposed to the green and artificial intelligence transitions.