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Reforms, labour market functioning and productivity dynamics: a sectoral analysis for Italy

Author

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  • Cecilia Jona Lasinio
  • Giovanna Vallanti
Abstract
Over the last two decades Italy registered notable improvements in the performance of the labour market both in terms of unemployment and participation.However, such improvements have been accompanied by a deterioration of productivity and competitiveness. This paper provides evidence in this respect evaluating to what extent labour market reforms might have influenced the poor productivity performance of the Italian economy over the period 1980-2008. Our results show that the increased flexibility in the use of temporary contracts has led to a lower productivity (level and to a lesser extent growth rate) in all sectors, with a higher impact on those sectors with a larger technological need for flexibility and a lower skill content. Moreover, the reforms had a negative impact on the productivity-enhancing reallocation by favoring a shift of employment towards low-productive industries. The negative effect of the reforms on the reallocative capacity is stronger in those industries with a higher flexibility need that are also the relatively lower productivity sectors in the period 1993-2008.

Suggested Citation

  • Cecilia Jona Lasinio & Giovanna Vallanti, 2013. "Reforms, labour market functioning and productivity dynamics: a sectoral analysis for Italy," Working Papers 10, Department of the Treasury, Ministry of the Economy and of Finance.
    • Handle: RePEc:itt:wpaper:wp2013-10
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Bianca Biagi & Maria Gabriela Ladu, 2018. "Productivity and employment dynamics: new evidence from Italian regions," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 35(2), pages 313-336, August.
    2. Renzo Orsi & Francesco Turino, 2014. "The last fifteen years of stagnation in Italy: a business cycle accounting perspective," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 469-494, September.
    3. Baccaro, Lucio & D'Antoni, Massimo, 2020. "Has the "external constraint" contributed to Italy's stagnation? A critical event analysis," MPIfG Discussion Paper 20/9, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    4. Tealdi, Cristina, 2011. "Typical and atypical employment contracts: the case of Italy," MPRA Paper 39456, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Patrizia Ordine & Giuseppe Rose, 2014. "Two-Tier Labor Market Reform And Entry Wage Of Protected Workers: Evidence From Italy," Working Papers 201410, Università della Calabria, Dipartimento di Economia, Statistica e Finanza "Giovanni Anania" - DESF.
    6. A. Arrighetti & F. Landini, 2018. "Eterogeneità delle imprese e stagnazione del capitalismo italiano," Economics Department Working Papers 2018-EP01, Department of Economics, Parma University (Italy).
    7. Calcagnini, Giorgio & Marin, Giovanni & Perugini, Francesco, 2021. "Labour flexibility, internal migration and productivity in Italian regions," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 308-320.
    8. Riccardo Pariboni & Pasquale Tridico, 2020. "Structural change, institutions and the dynamics of labor productivity in Europe," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 30(5), pages 1275-1300, November.
    9. Andrés J. Marchante Mera & Alejandro García Pozo & José Luis Sánchez Ollero, 2017. "Flexibilidad Laboral Y Productividad En El Sector De Alojamiento De Andalucia," Revista de Estudios Regionales, Universidades Públicas de Andalucía, vol. 1, pages 17-41.
    10. Valeria Cirillo & Marta Fana & Dario Guarascio, 2017. "Labour market reforms in Italy: evaluating the effects of the Jobs Act," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 34(2), pages 211-232, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Productivity; Fixed Term contracts; Labour Market Institutions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J08 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics Policies
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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