This article on the Italian case is based on recent trends in labour market reform. We critically review the reform approach adopted in recent years, mainly centred on marginal legislative reforms in employment contracts. The diffusion of flexible labour contracts, especially among the younger generations and women, together with a welfare system still based on employment seniority and job characteristics, have reinforced the segmentation of the Italian labour market and social inequalities. The absence of a negotiating strategy in introducing reforms has also increased social conflict. These trends ask for a comprehensive reform of the welfare system and for active policies to support labour market transitions, a reform which is increasingly considered in the current political debate.
A Highly Segmented Labour MarketThe Italian labour market in 2006 is still characterized by structural weaknesses compared to many other European countries. As shown in table 1 , activity and employment rates are still below the EU 15 average and Lisbon targets, especially for women, young people and the older population.The segmentation across gender, age and territory is still very high:• gender gaps in employment rates reach 24 percentage points, with employment rates for males at 70 . 5 per cent relative to 46 . 3 per cent for females; • age gaps in employment rates are also much higher than in other EU countries, going from 76 . 3 per cent in the 35 -44 age bracket, to 25 . 5 per cent for young people ( 15 -25 years old) and 32 . 5 per cent for those aged 55 -64 ;
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.