Gabriella Berloffa (University of Trento)

“Inequality of opportunity for young people in Italy: understanding the role of circumstances”

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the way in which changes in macro-economic circumstances and labour market institutions, that occurred in Italy over the ‘90s, affected the set of opportunities for young generations, amplify or shrinking existing inequalities. In particular we investigate whether they have modified the importance of the family background to reach certain labour outcomes (in terms of more or less secure employment). Results suggest that the effect of the social network of the father on early occupational outcomes is more related to changes in the macroeconomic circumstances than to institutional changes, and that the one on transitions is larger, in relative terms, in the late ‘90s than in the early ‘80s.