Flexicurity in the Italian Labour Market: evaluation of implemented policy measures

The main aim of the FGB research was assessing how Italy has pursued a flexicurity strategy to date. The project generally focused on the implementation of the flexicurity strategy at national level. However, since the legislative power on active labour market policies (ALMPs) – a main pillar of a flexicurity strategy – is a Regions’ competence, we assessed by regional case studies both the implemented measures and the effects of such policies and the interplay with the governance structure.
In order to better evaluate ALMPs, and to highlight some best practices mostly relative to public employment services and lifelong learning activities organization, the project was based on a partnership with the Labour Agencies of three Regions – Veneto, Lazio and Campania – highly representative of the Italian territorial disparities and of the different experiences, also in terms of governance, in the field of active labour market policies.

Then the project intended to contribute to the evaluation - on a national base (or regional when needed) - of all the implemented policies that could be considered relevant for the achievement of the “flexicurity employment guideline”, that, as reported also in the Italian National Reform Programme 2006-2008, suggests to “promote flexibility combined with employment security and reduce labour market segmentation, having due regard to the role of social partners”.

The FGB’s research was carrying out the following activities:

• analysis of the last decade labour market reform path stressing on the most recent measures;
• quantitative analysis for assessing the implementation of measures concerning flexicurity components;
• regional and in depth comparative case studies about the experiences in the field of ALMPs - mostly regarding PES, lifelong learning activities (describing also the role of the European Social Fund as a source for financing labour market policies) and the governance process - of the Italian Regions.