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La Meglio Gioventù: earnings gaps across generations and skills in Italy

Author

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  • Paolo Naticchioni

    (Roma Tre University)

  • Michele Raitano

    (Sapienza University of Rome)

  • Claudia Vittori

    (Sapienza University of Rome)

Abstract

This paper documents the evolution of the experience-earnings profiles of employees in the Italian private sector over the first 6 years of working career across three birth cohorts (1965–1969, 1970–1974, 1975–1979). We explore the average trends and disentangle how the patterns vary according to individual skills, defined in terms of educational levels and of percentiles of the unconditional earnings distribution. The original contribution of this paper consists in providing evidence that the “best” workers of the most recent cohorts (the high-skilled) have suffered, compared to previous cohorts, an earnings penalty much more severe than that experienced by unskilled workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Paolo Naticchioni & Michele Raitano & Claudia Vittori, 2016. "La Meglio Gioventù: earnings gaps across generations and skills in Italy," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 33(2), pages 233-264, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:epolit:v:33:y:2016:i:2:d:10.1007_s40888-016-0034-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s40888-016-0034-2
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    Cited by:

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    2. Filomena, Mattia & Giorgetti, Isabella & Picchio, Matteo, 2022. "Off to a Bad Start: Youth Nonemployment and Labor Market Outcomes Later in Life," IZA Discussion Papers 15366, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Andrea Brandolini & Romina Gambacorta & Alfonso Rosolia, 2018. "Inequality amid income stagnation: Italy over the last quarter of a century," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 442, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    4. Mattia Filomena, 2021. "Unemployment Scarring Effects: A Symposium On Empirical Literature," Working Papers 453, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    5. Federico Revelli, 2017. "Voter Turnout in Italian Municipal Elections, 2002–2013," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 3(2), pages 151-165, July.
    6. Rosy Musumeci, 2018. "Giovani e lavoro: culture, significati e identit?," ECONOMIA E SOCIET? REGIONALE, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2018(2), pages 59-76.
    7. Chiara Burlina & Alessandro Crociata & Iacopo Odoardi, 2021. "Can culture save young Italians? The role of cultural capital on Italian NEETs behaviour," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 38(3), pages 943-969, October.
    8. Alfonso Rosolia & Roberto Torrini, 2016. "The generation gap: a cohort analysis of earnings levels, dispersion and initial labor market conditions in Italy, 1974-2014," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 366, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    9. Alessio Tomelleri, 2021. "Temporary jobs and increasing inequality for recent cohorts in Italy," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 35(4), pages 500-537, December.
    10. Bavaro, Michele & Raitano, Michele, 2024. "Is working enough to escape poverty? Evidence on low-paid workers in Italy," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 495-511.
    11. Iacopo Odoardi, 2020. "Can parents’ education lay the foundation for reducing the inactivity of young people? A regional analysis of Italian NEETs," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 37(1), pages 307-336, April.
    12. Zotti, Roberto, 2020. "Parental Education and Sons’ Earnings: A “Beyond the Mean†Approach along the Sons’ Earnings Distributions," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 202013, University of Turin.
    13. Raitano, Michele & Fana, Marta, 2019. "Labour market deregulation and workers’ outcomes at the beginning of the career: Evidence from Italy," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 301-310.
    14. Francesca Subioli & Michele Raitano, 2022. "Differences set in stone: evidence on the inequality-mobility trade off in italy," Working Papers 633, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    15. Giuseppe Ciccarone & Giovanni Di Bartolomeo, 2023. "L’economia politica del conflitto, il ritorno dell’inflazione e il nuovo salto generazionale," wp.comunite 00162, Department of Communication, University of Teramo.
    16. Giangregorio Luca & Fana Marta, 2021. "The structure of the labour market and wage inequality using RIF-OLS: the Italian case," JRC Working Papers on Labour, Education and Technology 2021-11, Joint Research Centre.
    17. Silvia Leoni, 2022. "An Agent-Based Model for Tertiary Educational Choices in Italy," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 63(5), pages 797-824, August.
    18. d'Agostino, Giorgio & Pieroni, Luca & Scarlato, Margherita, 2018. "Evaluating the effects of labour market reforms on job flows: The Italian case," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 178-189.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Youth; Cohorts; Education; Earnings; Italy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution

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