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Abstract: Short-time work was the "German answer" to the economic crisis. The number of short-time workers strongly increased in the recession and peaked at more than 1.5 million. Without the extensive use of short-time work, unemployment would have risen by approximately twice as much as it actually did. Short-time work has certainly contributed to the mild response of the German labor market to the crisis, but this is likely due to the country-specific context. Although the crisis has been ove ...; [Read more...] Short-time work was the "German answer" to the economic crisis. The number of short-time workers strongly increased in the recession and peaked at more than 1.5 million. Without the extensive use of short-time work, unemployment would have risen by approximately twice as much as it actually did. Short-time work has certainly contributed to the mild response of the German labor market to the crisis, but this is likely due to the country-specific context. Although the crisis has been overcome and employment is strongly expanding, modified regulations governing short-time work are still in place. This leads to undesired side effects.

L’orario ridotto ha rappresentato la «risposta tedesca» alla crisi economica. Il numero di lavoratori in regime di orario ridotto è fortemente aumentato e ha raggiunto quota 1,5 milioni. Senza l’uso estensivo di lavoro a orario ridotto, la disoccupazione sarebbe aumentata di circa il doppio rispetto a quanto avvenuto. La misura presa quindi dal governo tedesco ha fatto parte integrante della risposta del mercato del lavoro alla crisi e ha funzionato – anche se al momento si rilevano effetti collaterali indesiderati – perché l’occupazione è ora in forte espansione, ma questo è probabilmente dovuto al contesto in cui il tutto è avvenuto, al sistema paese Germania.

Abstract: The Bologna process inspired the Italian 3+2 reform of the university system which constitutes a big increase in the supply of college graduates. This paper is a preliminary attempt to identify the effects of the reform on the probability (relative to non-graduates) of employment of college graduates in the age range 25-34; their quality of employment measured with the relative probability of being employed with a temporary contract; the college wage premium. Using administrative data ...; [Read more...] The Bologna process inspired the Italian 3+2 reform of the university system which constitutes a big increase in the supply of college graduates. This paper is a preliminary attempt to identify the effects of the reform on the probability (relative to non-graduates) of employment of college graduates in the age range 25-34; their quality of employment measured with the relative probability of being employed with a temporary contract; the college wage premium. Using administrative data to identify the gradual introduction of the reform in different universities, the paper shows that the reform increases significantly the relative employment of graduates except for women in the South where the rapid increase of female post-reform graduates has not been absorbed by the weak labour market. Finally, post-reform college graduates have a significantly lower college premium with respect to high school graduates than pre-reform graduates.

Il processo di Bologna è alla base della riforma del 3 + 2 del sistema universitario in Italia. Questo documento è un tentativo preliminare per identificare gli effetti della riforma sulla probabilità relativa (rispetto ai non laureati) di trovare lavoro per i laureati nella fascia d’età 25-34 e la qualità dell’occupazione trovata misurata con la probabilità di essere assunti con un contratto a tempo determinato. La riforma ha aumentato significativamente l’impiego relativo di laureati, tranne per le donne nel Sud, dove il rapido aumento delle laureate post-riforma non è stato assorbito dai deboli mercati del lavoro.

Abstract: The main question addressed by this article is whether and how gender inequalities in wages have changed in Italy in the face of the important labour market developments of the last years. Specifically, the paper addresses gender wage inequalities in Italy in the mid-1990s and in the mid-2000s. In this period important labour market developments occurred: institutional changes have loosened the use of flexible and atypical contracts; the female employment rates and educational levels h ...; [Read more...] The main question addressed by this article is whether and how gender inequalities in wages have changed in Italy in the face of the important labour market developments of the last years. Specifically, the paper addresses gender wage inequalities in Italy in the mid-1990s and in the mid-2000s. In this period important labour market developments occurred: institutional changes have loosened the use of flexible and atypical contracts; the female employment rates and educational levels have substantially increased. The time trends are defined under the different components of the gender wage gap by estimating wage distributions in the presence of covariates and sample selection and by counterfactual microsimulations. The result of this excercise is that women swam against the tide: whilst the trend in female qualifications slightly reduced the gender wage gap, the gender relative trends in the wage structure significantly increased it.

Abstract: This study provides an overview of the situation of immigrants in the European Union, by focusing on the process of their integration and its impact on the labour market; section 1 provides information on the scale of the migration phenomenon, focusing on the origin patterns of immigrants to the EU-27 and describing evidence about the need of immigrant workers. Section 2 explores in greater detail the employment situation of immigrants, their distribution across the industrial sectors ...; [Read more...] This study provides an overview of the situation of immigrants in the European Union, by focusing on the process of their integration and its impact on the labour market; section 1 provides information on the scale of the migration phenomenon, focusing on the origin patterns of immigrants to the EU-27 and describing evidence about the need of immigrant workers. Section 2 explores in greater detail the employment situation of immigrants, their distribution across the industrial sectors and how this compares with the native population. The legal status of seasonal workers, posted workers and intracorporate transferees from outside the EU is outlined in Section 3, where immigration legislation for these types of workers is described. Section 4 explores obstacles to the integration of immigrants and their children within the educational system, as well as their assimilation into the labour market. The role of both restrictive immigration policies and of practical barriers to integration is investigated. The impact of immigration on the wages and on the welfare state is considered in Section 5, where evidence from empirical studies is compared with the results of opinion surveys. Section 6 concludes the study with an overview of the current implementation of antidiscrimination laws in EU Member States. The section describes best practices taken at the national and company level which have been successful in promoting the integration of immigrants, preventing discrimination and improving their social inclusion. The final Section 7 gives some policy recommendations.

Abstract: This study provides the European Commission with an expert assessment of the main trends in the situation of migrants with regard to social assistance and access to social services, an in-depth analysis of the main determinants of these trends, and a comprehensive account of the mutual interaction of migration policies and broadly defined social assistance policies. Based on the existing evidence we conclude that there is no a priori evidence that migration would pose a burden on welfa ...; [Read more...] This study provides the European Commission with an expert assessment of the main trends in the situation of migrants with regard to social assistance and access to social services, an in-depth analysis of the main determinants of these trends, and a comprehensive account of the mutual interaction of migration policies and broadly defined social assistance policies. Based on the existing evidence we conclude that there is no a priori evidence that migration would pose a burden on welfare systems. In our empirical analysis we use European Union-wide comparable micro-data (EU-SILC), a purpose-made macro-level dataset, countryspecific studies and an own purpose-made Expert Opinion Survey. Descriptive analysis of EU-SILC data shows that migrants are more likely to be in receipt of unemployment-related supports and family-related payments in a wide range of countries. However, they are less likely to receive old-age payments and sickness and disability payments. The most clear-cut result is the greater likelihood of migrants being in poverty.

Abstract: This policy analysis paper explores the implications for the host country population of alternative immigration policies. The two immigration options considered are a policy based on admitting primarily high-skilled workers and another that has the effect of admitting primarily low-skilled workers. The implications for the native-born population for their aggregate level of income, the distribution of their income by skill level, and the size of the income redistribution system are con ...; [Read more...] This policy analysis paper explores the implications for the host country population of alternative immigration policies. The two immigration options considered are a policy based on admitting primarily high-skilled workers and another that has the effect of admitting primarily low-skilled workers. The implications for the native-born population for their aggregate level of income, the distribution of their income by skill level, and the size of the income redistribution system are considered. The paper was prepared for the Productivity Commission of Australia.

Abstract: This summary presents the results of a study conducted by Martin Kahanec under the World Bank ASEAN Labor Markets program funded by AusAid. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the European Union experience of the mobility of skilled labor migrants and to draw lessons from this experience for the integration of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members. The EU experience of free mobility is evaluated in two specific contexts: intra-EU migration after the 2004 ...; [Read more...] This summary presents the results of a study conducted by Martin Kahanec under the World Bank ASEAN Labor Markets program funded by AusAid. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the European Union experience of the mobility of skilled labor migrants and to draw lessons from this experience for the integration of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members. The EU experience of free mobility is evaluated in two specific contexts: intra-EU migration after the 2004 and 2007 EU enlargements and migration to the European Union from the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) countries. The study confines its attention to labor market aspects of skilled labor mobility.

Abstract: What are the migration policy lessons that can be learned from the Spanish case? Unlike countries with a large tradition of receiving immigrants, in Spain having a high-school degree does not give immigrants an advantage in terms of wage or occupational assimilation (relative to their native counterparts). This paper discusses the potential explanations behind this result and analyzes the consequences of this result in terms of migration policy recommendations.

Abstract: Higher education contributes to economic innovation. This study measures and compares the extent to which national governments’ policies foster this contribution across Europe. The study stresses the relevance of policies which are ‘empowering’ for higher education institutions, or in other words provide them with appropriate resources and regulatory environments. The assessment relies on quantitative scores, based on the contribution of policies regarding funding and autonomy to highe ...; [Read more...] Higher education contributes to economic innovation. This study measures and compares the extent to which national governments’ policies foster this contribution across Europe. The study stresses the relevance of policies which are ‘empowering’ for higher education institutions, or in other words provide them with appropriate resources and regulatory environments. The assessment relies on quantitative scores, based on the contribution of policies regarding funding and autonomy to higher education performance in education, research and economic innovation, using non-arbitrary weights and eighteen policy indicators across 32 European countries. A large number of countries belong to a ‘middle group’ in our overall assessment, indicating a relative cohesion in Europe. Yet, substantial variations exist in terms of higher education policy in Europe, each European country having room for policy improvement.

Abstract: With young people among the big losers of the recent financial crisis, vocational education and training (VET) is often seen as the silver bullet to the problem of youth joblessness. This paper provides a better understanding of VET around the world, dealing with three types of vocational systems: school-based education, a dual system in which school-based education is combined with firm-based training, and informal training. We first explore the motivation for these different types of ...; [Read more...] With young people among the big losers of the recent financial crisis, vocational education and training (VET) is often seen as the silver bullet to the problem of youth joblessness. This paper provides a better understanding of VET around the world, dealing with three types of vocational systems: school-based education, a dual system in which school-based education is combined with firm-based training, and informal training. We first explore the motivation for these different types of training, before summarizing the institutional evidence, highlighting the key elements of each training system and discussing its main implementation strengths and challenges. We subsequently review the evidence on the effectiveness of VET versus general education and between the three VET systems. There are clear indications that VET is a valued alternative beyond the core of general education, while the dual system tends to be more effective than school-based VET. Informal training is effective, however relatively little is known of its relative strengths compared with other forms of vocational education.