COHESION DECREE 2024
On May 7, 2024, Decree No. 105, containing “Further urgent provisions on cohesion policies,” was published in the Official Gazette.
This measure represents a significant step forward in the implementation of cohesion policy reform, part of the revision of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), with the primary objective of reducing regional disparities.
Objectives of the Decree
- Reduce regional disparities: mitigate economic and social disparities between the various Italian regions.
- Promote employment: encourage the creation of jobs.
- Support local development: foster local economic development and improve the quality of life in the regions.
Main Measures
Among the main measures introduced by the new Cohesion Decree are the social security contribution exemptions for permanent hires, valid from September 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025.
- Youth Bonus
The provision grants private employers who hire non-managerial staff under 35 (never previously employed on a permanent basis) with a permanent employment contract between September 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025, an exemption from paying 100% of the total social security contributions.
There is a maximum limit of 500 euros per month, which increases to 650 euros for the southern regions, namely Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Basilicata, Sicily, Apulia, Calabria, and Sardinia.
- Women’s Bonus
The measure grants total exemption from social security contributions due by private employers for each woman hired on a permanent basis between September 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025, with a maximum limit of 650 euros per month.
This exemption applies to women who belong to one of these two categories:
- Women of any age, without a regularly paid job for at least six months, residing in the Special Unified Zone for the South.
- Women of any age without a regularly paid job for at least 24 months, regardless of residence.
- ZES Bonus (Special Unified Zone for the South)
The provision grants a 100% exemption from social security contributions due by private employers, with a maximum limit of 650 euros per month for permanent hires made between September 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025.
The exemption is granted only to private employers with up to 10 employees, and the employee must:
- Be hired at a location or production unit within the ZES.
- Be 35 years old.
- Have been unemployed for at least 24 months.
The Cohesion Decree represents a significant targeted strategy to stimulate economic and social growth in many areas of our country, creating a fairer and more inclusive Italy.