Whereas traditionally it has been Germany, now young Italians are turning to the UK in their quest to find jobs.
The UK has overtaken Germany as the favourite country for Italian migrants, followed by Germany, Switzerland and France.
Nearly 13,000 Italians sought work in the UK in 2013 out of a total of 94,000, an increase of 16%.
The year before, 79,000 Italians left their country, according to the Catholic group Fondazione Migrantes which tracks emigration.
More than a third of those departing were between 18 and 34 years old, meaning that Italy will have to cope with a brain drain.
But it is precisely this group which has been worst hit by Italy’s economic problems. Many young Italians despair at the slow rate of change, limited reforms, unrelenting unemployment, and lack of meritocracy.
The majority of the Italians who are moving abroad originate from Milan, Rome, and the Veneto region which includes Venice, Padua and Verona.
Italy is no stranger to mass emigration. In the 19th century, millions set sail for the US and South America and in the 1950s, many found jobs in Germany, Belgium and France.
