The analysis is based on the incidence of personnel cost on total production costs, a relevant parameter for assessing the economic sustainability of local public transport companies. The sample considered includes 39 Italian companies, divided into three clusters based on 2023 turnover. The indicator, which averages 50.2 percent in 2023, shows variations related to organizational choices, contractual policies and different cost dynamics over time.
Share on:
Cluster 3 gathers companies with an annual turnover between 51 and 28 million euros. For each of them, the incidence of personnel costs on total production costs was calculated, looking at the values for 2014, 2023, the average for the period 2014-2023, and the percentage change between 2023 and 2014.
In this group, the ratio of personnel costs to total production costs in 2023 averages 49.9 percent, with a median of 48.8 percent. Compared to 2014, both indicators are declining: the average is reduced by 3 percentage points, the median by 4.3 points.
Again, the distribution is quite wide: it ranges from 63.9 percent for TPL Linea to 44 percent for MOVIBUS s.r.l. Most of the entities in the cluster recorded a decrease in the incidence of personnel costs, in some cases even more than 15 percent. Only in a few cases are increases observed, such as that of TPL Linea and KYMA Mobility.
Looking at the data as a whole, clear differences emerge among the three clusters of companies. Cluster 1, which includes companies with turnovers above 95 million euros, shows remarkable stability: between 2014 and 2023, the average incidence of personnel costs dropped only a few percentage points, while the median remained unchanged.
In Cluster 2, which includes companies with turnovers between 94 and 52 million euros, the reduction is the most pronounced: the mean falls by about 5 points and the median by more than 6 percent.
Finally, in Cluster 3, composed of smaller companies, it is possible to find, a contraction of almost 6 percent in both the mean and the median.
These data suggest that smaller firms may have changed their cost structure to a greater extent, with a more widespread reduction in the incidence of personnel. In contrast, larger firms appear to have maintained a more stable cost composition over time.
Note: The incidence of personnel costs was calculated on production costs, which include: personnel costs, costs for consumable raw materials, operating expenses, use of third-party assets, depreciation and other costs.
