Il modello di specializzazione internazionale dell'Italia e dei principali paesi europei: omogeneit� e convergenza

This paper compares main European countries and the euro area specialization patterns. The analysis, that covers the period 1988-1997 and is based on a detailed sectoral breakdown, provides evidence to assess the degree of structural differences and convergence among European countries, which have become important issues since the birth of the European monetary union. We find that the former ones are quite large. While France and Germany are very similar to the area as a whole, Italy and Spain results to be different, with comparative advantages over goods whose production requires technologies operated by unskilled workers. This is particularly true for Italy that therefore might be more exposed to asymmetric effects of exogenous shocks and even of European policies. From the evolution of specialization patterns between the beginning and the end of the nineties, we find weak signs of convergence within the euro area; again Italy differs and shows a slower and more uncertain path of change, even when compared to Spain.