Working in L'Aquila: reconstruction, university, pharmaceuticals, public sector

Sectors

Public administration is the largest employer: Abruzzo Region, Province, Comune, Prefecture, state offices and the health authority with the San Salvatore hospital. The university, GSSI and the Gran Sasso Laboratories employ teaching staff, researchers and technicians and attract international personnel. Post-2009 reconstruction, with USRA and the construction, engineering and restoration companies, has been a sector of its own since 2010, employing thousands of people and gradually shrinking.

The industrial zone of the plain (Pile, Bazzano, Sassa, Scoppito) hosts pharmaceutical, electronics and telecommunications plants and space and defence companies, with large groups and suppliers. Mountain and cultural tourism is growing but remains small.

Where people work

Public offices are in the historic centre and along via Strinella and viale Corrado IV (Region at Palazzo Silone, Province, state offices); health at Coppito; research at Coppito, Roio, Assergi and in the centre (GSSI); industry in the Pile zone and the plain, reached by car or AMA lines. Coworking exists in the centre with a few spaces, some born with reconstruction and regeneration projects. The Gran Sasso d'Italia Chamber of Commerce (L'Aquila and Teramo) is the reference for starting a business.

What to know

The labour market is small: outside the public sector, university, health, construction and the few large industrial companies, qualified positions are rare, and many graduates move to Rome. Remote workers find low costs, good connectivity in the rebuilt centre and Rome within coach reach. In industrial companies and research English is often required; a car is almost always needed for the plants in the plain.