. >> these days, oswaldo rarely leaves his home. many local stores have had to close and are a painful reminder of his own plight. in january, he received a letter from the company he worked for, telling him it had filed for bankruptcy. since then,e haseen working part time and therefore earning less. >> i earned 600 euros a month, and i paid 400 euros a month back, and course, i have other overhead costs, too. and now he is earning half of what he used to, despite having worked for the company for years, but he does not blame his employer. >> the company was founded 117 years ago. a company like that cannot just go bankrupt. i still think thereust be a glimmer of hope. >> this company based in bologna is a leading manufacturer of orthopedics. founded in 1896, the company mainly supplies public institutions like hospitals. but many of its customers have stopped paying. at the moment, the state owes 15 million euros. it is a fate shared by companies across italy. the state's debts towards firms reportedly amount to 19 billion euros.