Silvia Pasqua (Università di Torino)

In-work poverty: attribution of responsibilities and support for policies in Italy

Venue: Campus Luigi Einaudi, room 3 D1 01

Abstract: The seminar presents the design of an experimental survey on public attitudes towards in-work poverty and policies to counter it, focusing on Italy, where nearly 12% of workers were at risk of poverty in 2022 (Eurostat). This project addresses a notable gap in the literature: while in-work poverty has been widely studied, there is limited knowledge about public perceptions of the phenomenon and related policies. Drawing on van Oorschot’s (2000) NICER criteria of deservingness, the project investigates how factors such as job type and demographic characteristics of the working poor influence the attribution of responsibility for their poverty status and the level of support for policies to reduce it. The two main questions of the project are: to what extent do individual and household characteristics of the working poor affect the attribution of responsibility for in-work poverty, and how do these characteristics shape support for specific policies? The experimental design also tests hypotheses suggesting, for instance, that young, unskilled workers are more likely to be seen as personally responsible for their situation, while there is stronger support for labor market policies when the working poor are skilled or experienced workers. This study offers insights for policy design aimed at addressing public attitudes and enhancing support for effective interventions.