Adapting to the European Employment Strategy? Recent Developments in Italian Employment Policy

The paper examines recent changes in Italian employment policy in the light of the launch and development of the European Employment Strategy. The first section emphasizes some key quantitative aspects of employment and unemployment issues ( 1), followed by an outline of the evolution of Italian labour market ( 2), an exploration of the endogenous and exogenous pressures (and opportunities) for change and the dynamics of institutional change ( 3), and a discussion of the possible new institutional configuration with particular reference to the most recent reform (the Biagi Law, that introduced further changes) ( 4). Some final remarks ( 5) on the current debate conclude the presentation of the Italian case.