by In Trieste
More than 31,000 Triestini chose to move to a new country in recent years, according to a report presented by association Tryeste.
Tryeste tracks the number of Triestini on the Registry of Italians Resident Abroad (Aire), and revealed a shift in the age and social status of those moving abroad. Trieste expats are most likely to be young and single, with men slightly more likely than women to make the leap abroad.
“There are about 31 thousand Triestini abroad as of today. 15,6 % of Trieste residents had to leave their hometown and move abroad” said Tryeste representatives. “Most of the young people who move abroad do so for the lack of job opportunities in our city.”
Tryeste described the rise in emigration – particularly among the 18-34 age group, which made up a third of emigrants last year – as a “brain drain”, noting that not only do Triestini of the millennial generation have the highest average level of education, but they also suffer from the highest unemployment levels, leading many to look abroad for work opportunities.
The most popular destination for Triestini is Germany, followed very closely by the UK, Switzerland and France. Over two thirds of Trieste expats (69.2 percent) stayed within Europe, with the majority of the rest opting for North America.
This is interesting, but extremely misleading: what is the time span considered to be “recent”? 10 years? 2 years? 45 years?
I decided to leave in 1982. At that time Trieste looked like a run-down junk-yard.