Starting with this issue, the autumn update of the report Economic Developments in the Italian Regions, in addition to an account of the latest cyclical developments, will also offer a number of monographic essays.
The cyclical analysis shows that in the northern regions the recovery in economic activity in 2010 came to a halt last summer. In the regions of the Centre and the South the level of economic activity stagnated for the first nine months of the year. Exports grew more slowly in the first half than in the second half of 2010; their growth was greater in the North and in the South than in the Centre. Employment gained slightly in all parts of the country. The rate of increase in lending to firms diminished in the Centre and North in the third quarter while remaining unchanged in the South. Lending to households slowed slightly in all parts of Italy.
The monographic inquiries are on: industrial districts, the national tourist industry, the labour market for young people, some aspects of bank organization, the activities of loan guarantee consortiums, and the fiscal capacity of Italian municipalities
