Declining Interest in Lifeguard Jobs in Italy

The number of new lifeguards in Italy is decreasing, and renewals of existing certifications are also down, causing beach resort operators to struggle to find staff. This decline is attributed to several factors: more complex and demanding certification procedures introduced by decree n. 85/2024, low wages (often 5-6 euros net per hour), poor contract conditions including lack of guaranteed weekly rest days, and increased awareness of legal responsibilities. Lifeguards can face criminal and civil liability for negligence. Many are now employed through cooperatives rather than directly by resorts. The decree requires candidates to swim 100 meters in under 1 minute 40 seconds and 25 meters underwater, and renewals now include a similar pool test. This has reduced the number of authorized training sections: for example, of SNS's nearly 200 sections, only 51 are currently authorized to hold exams. FISA's president Raffaele Perrotta says the decree has created a disparity favoring FIN, which both issues certifications and provides the required SNaQ training. The result is a collapse in training capacity, with the annual number of certified lifeguards from FISA more than halved since 2024.