According to an Inde Hiring Lab survey, 96% of Italian employers value foreign language proficiency when hiring, despite the widespread usage of automatic translators and virtual assistants. However, 65% struggle to locate people with the required skills. Over one-third of recruiters (36%) believe that languages are essential for a person's career, are a prerequisite for certain positions (48%), and are particularly critical for working in international teams (65%). English is the most commonly requested language, accounting for 30% of job listings, though this figure has been falling significantly since 2020 as it is increasingly taken for granted. German, French, and Spanish follow. The most demanding industries are aviation, industrial engineering, law, project management, and data analysis. Demand for English is increasing, particularly in banking and finance, veterinary medicine, and sports. German is increasingly popular in the fields of aviation and tourism, French in media and attractiveness, and Spanish in data and analytics. Meanwhile, an Ipsos study found that 10% of young people aged 14 to 19 spontaneously identified Chinese as an essential language, placing it just behind English.