MILANO – The turnover of the Italian tertiary sector has returned to the level before the pandemic, after the strong rebound of 2021. According to Istat data, on average last year there was an increase in the turnover index of services companies of 14.1 %, which brought it to a slightly higher level than the prepandemic one (+ 0.5% compared to 2019).
“However – reads the comment of the Institute of Statistics – there is a marked differentiation between sectors. There are levels higher than those before the crisis only for the wholesale trade (excluding motor vehicles) and for information and communication services. while those of the activities of accommodation and catering services, of travel agencies and support services to businesses, of transport and warehousing and of professional, scientific and technical activities are still lower than the level of turnover in 2019 “.
In the fourth quarter of 2021 the seasonally adjusted index of the turnover of services grew by 2.1% compared to the previous quarter; the general raw index recorded an increase, in trend terms, of 13.6%.
Keeping the focus on the last period of the past year, economic growth is found in almost all sectors. Increases, explains Istat, are recorded for travel agencies and business support services (+ 4.7%), for information and communication services (+ 3.4%), for wholesale trade, trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (+ 2.3%), for transport and storage (+ 1.4%) and for professional, scientific and technical activities (+ 0.8%). Hotels and restaurants still in difficulty: A decrease was recorded only for the activities of accommodation and restaurant services (-1.0%).
The index of the turnover of services in the fourth quarter of 2021 records positive trend changes in all sectors. Substantial increases distinguish the activities of accommodation and catering services, with growth of 81.3%, transport and storage (+ 25.6%), travel agencies and business support services (+ 12.7%) ) and the wholesale, trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (+ 10.0%). The increase is more contained for information and communication services (+ 8.1%) and for professional, scientific and technical activities (+ 5.3%).