Top

Social Indicators Research

Published in:

13-11-2015

Speculation on a Flexicurity Index for Disabled People: The Italian Case

Authors: M. Agovino, A. Rapposelli

Published in: Social Indicators Research | Issue 1/2017

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config

AI-assisted search

Off

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze a flexicurity index for disabled people by using Italian regional data. To this purpose, the empirical results are based on a composite index denoted as Mazziotta-Pareto Index. Our results show that Northern Italy regions show a higher flexicurity degree than Southern Italy ones. In addition, by estimating an augmented matching function, we verify that flexicurity increases the probability of finding employment for a disabled person. In particular, we test that the flexicurity indicator that gives more weight to the economic independence of disabled people represents the indicator that most favors the labour matching process.

previous article The Importance of Freedom in the East and the West Over Time: A Meta-analytic Study of Predictors of Well-Being

next article Political Trust and Sophistication: Taking Measurement Seriously

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 102.000 Bücher
über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 67.000 Bücher
über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Available only for authorised users

The term flexicurity is used to refer to the combinations of labour market flexibility and high levels of social security. Flexicurity can be characterized as a “third way” strategy between the flexibility generally attributed to the Anglo-Saxon labour market and the strict job security characterizing Southern European countries or between the flexibility of liberal market economies and the social safety nets of the traditional Scandinavian welfare states (OECD 2004; Madsen 2004, 2007).

By the term matching rate we mean the percentage of disabled people that are employed.

Secondo Rapporto sulla coesione sociale, http://www.istat.it/it/archivio/53075 (accessed 16 November 2013).

ALMPs measure can be defined as either the expenditure on ALMPs (as a percentage of GDP) or the number of participants in ALMP programmes. The empirical analysis uses the participants in programmes of active policies as a percentage of the labour force (Altavilla and Caroleo 2011). We use the number of disabled people participating in ALMP as a percentage of the labour force of people with disabilities.

Law 247 of 29 December 2007 has changed Article 13 of Law 68/99, providing the employer with a contribution for each disabled worker on permanent contracts by agreement in compliance with Article 11 of Law 68/99. The requirement for giving the employer a contribution for each disabled worker is that hiring has occurred under a permanent contract and that the employment relationship is still ongoing.

Civilian disability pensions are not connected with national insurance contributions; they are paid to disabled people on the basis of their physical characteristics (e.g., people affected by blindness, deafness, or other types of impairments). These pensions are also paid to people with no income or insufficient income after the age of 65 (Ministry of Labour and Social Policy 2006, 2008).

http://www.istat.it/it/assistenza-e-previdenza (accessed 16 November 2013).

Generally, in the case of non-substitutability of the basic components, it is normal to use the geometric mean (Biehl 1991). However, the geometric mean assumes that the greatness to synthesize is multiplicative rather than additive, and gives greater weight to lower values. Besides, it cannot be computed in the presence of negative values or zero.

We remind that CDPs enter in the indicator as “bad” variables; consequently, they are normalized according formula (9) which enables to change its meaning (when the standardized variable grows, the dependence degree on CDP reduces).

Law 68/1999 specifies that regions have the greatest responsibility in its application and, consequently, its successful implementation depends almost exclusively on regions’ actions and ability to efficiently coordinate the various actors (people with disabilities, employers, job centers, etc.) involved in the employment of disabled people in order to reach the matching between demand and supply of jobs for disabled people (Agovino and Rapposelli 2014).

In the case of disabled people, we cannot speak of unemployed “effective” stock who are looking for a work, because the unemployed people with disabilities stock only includes people with disabilities who are looking for employment, therefore they are all effective. Law 68/99 provides that disabled people who want to work must enroll in lists maintained by employment centers. Consequently, we find in these lists only people who truly seek a job and not all unemployed disabled people (such as discouraged workers or other unemployed categories who no longer seek a job).

In Appendix 2 we report the description of the variables used in the empirical analysis.

The maximum duration of internships for disabled people is 24 months. The participation allowance is determined by taking into account the residual abilities and skills of the trainee as the valuation of the Provincial Technical Committee.

We remind that in the construction of the flexicurity indicators, CDP have been considered as a negative measure and, consequently, they have been transformed into a positive measure.

By “absorbing state” we mean that the probability of the individual subsequently exiting that state is close to zero.

ISFOL does not specify whether the match variable includes also employed disabled people who are looking for a job, in addition to the unemployed disabled people who find a job. Since job placement for disabled people is based on enrolment to employment centers, it is natural to think that after a job placement the disabled person is deleted from the list of unemployed people with disabilities looking for work; this suggests that a new enrolment means that the disabled person is unemployed again and therefore the match variable only includes the outflows into employment of unemployed disabled people.

Through agreements, signed by the interested parties (workers, employers, provincial offices for the employment of disabled workers and authorities that promote labour integration), it is possible to define a personalized program of interventions in order to overcome barriers related to the inclusion in the workplace. The agreements represent the tool by which the legislation seeks to promote the integration targeted, through a gradual labour integration of people with disabilities, aimed at the achievement of the employment obligations.

In this case, ISFOL does not make a distinction between the unemployed looking for employment and the unemployed who are not looking for a job; for this reason, the variable of unemployment will be distorted upwards.

Agovino M., & Garofalo A. (2014). Flexicurity index for disabled people: Evidence from Italy, Mimeo, Sottoposto a RISS.

Agovino M., & Parodi G. (2012). Civilian disability pensions as an antipoverty policy instrument? A spatial analysis of Italian provinces, 2003–2005. In G. Parodi & D. Sciulli (Eds.), Social exclusion. AIEL Series in Labour Economics. Berlin: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-7908-2772-9_8

Agovino, M., & Rapposelli, A. (2012). Employment of disabled people according to Law 68/99. A multidimensional analysis at regional level. Rivista Internazionale di Scienze Sociale, 1, 3–23.

Agovino, M., & Rapposelli, A. (2013a). Inclusion of disabled people in the Italian labour market: An efficiency analysis of Law 68/99 at regional level. Quality & Quantity 47(3), 1577–1588.CrossRef

Agovino, M., & Rapposelli, A. (2013b). Employment of disabled people in the private sector. An analysis at the level of Italian Provinces according to article 13 of Law 68/99. Quality & Quantity, 48(3), 1537–1552.CrossRef

Agovino, M., & Rapposelli, A. (2014). Employment of disabled people in the private sector. An analysis at the level of Italian Provinces according to article 13 of Law 68/99. Quality & Quantity. doi:10.1007/s11135-013-9851-3.

Altavilla, C., & Caroleo, F. E. (2011). Asymmetric effects of national-based active labour market policies. Regional Studies, 47(9), 1–25.

Bekker S., & Wilthagen T. (2008). Europe’s pathways to flexicurity: Lessons presented from and to the Netherlands. Intereconomics, March/April, 68–73.

Biehl, D. (1991). Il ruolo delle Infrastrutture nello sviluppo regionale. In F. Boscacci & G. Gorla (Eds.), Economie locali in ambiente competitivo. Milano: Franco Angeli.

Boeri, T. (1997). Learning from transition economies: Assessing labor market policies across Central and Eastern Europe. Journal of Comparative Economics, 25, 366–384.CrossRef

Boeri, T., & Burda, M. C. (1996). Active labor market policies, job matching and the Czech miracle. European Economic Review, 40, 805–817.CrossRef

Boeri, T., Cahuc, P., Crnkovic, S., Kollonay-Lehoczky, C., & Wilthagen, T. (2007). Flexicurity pathways, turning hurdles into stepping stones. Brussels: Report by the European Expert group on Flexicurity.

Broersma, L., & Van Ours, J. C. (1999). Job searchers, job matches and the elasticity of matching. Labour Economics, 6(1), 77–93.CrossRef

Caroleo, F. E., & Pastore, F. (2003). Youth participation in the labour market in Germany, Spain and Sweden. In T. Hammer (Ed.), Youth unemployment and social exclusion in Europe. A comparative study (pp. 115–141). Bristol: Policy Press.

Caroleo, F. E., & Pastore, F. (2005). La disoccupazione giovanile in Italia. La riforma della formazione come alternativa alla flessibilità. Economia e Lavoro, 39(2), 49–66.

De Muro, P., Mazziotto, M., & Pareto, A. (2011). Composite indices of development and poverty: an application to MDGs. Social Indicators Research, 104, 1–18.CrossRef

Dietrich, H. (2003). Scheme participation and employment outcome of young unemployed—Empirical findings from nine European countries. In T. Hammer (Ed.), Youth unemployment and social exclusion in Europe. A comparative study (pp. 83–108). Bristol: Policy Press.CrossRef

Eichorst, W., Kendzia, M. J., Knudsen, J. B., Hanse, M. O., Vandeweghe, B., Vanhoren, I., et al. (2010). The mobility and integration of people with disabilities into the labour market. IZA, research report no. 29.

European Commission. (2006). Employment in Europe 2006. Brussels: European Commission.

European Commission. (2007a). Towards common principles of flexicurity: More and better jobs through flexibility and security. Brussels: European Commission.

European Commission. (2007b). Employment in Europe 2007. Brussels: European Commission.

Fahr, R., & Sunde, U. (2004). Occupational job creation: Patterns and implications. Oxford Economic Papers, 56, 407–435.CrossRef

Hansen, L. P. (1982). Large sample properties of generalized method of moments estimators. Econometrica, 50(4), 1029–1054.CrossRef

Hujer, R., & Zeiss, C. (2003). Macroeconomic impacts of ALMP on the matching process in West Germany. IZA DP no. 915.

Layard, R., Nickell, S. J., & Jackman, R. (1991). Unemployment: macroeconomic performance and the labour market. New York: Oxford University Press.

Lechner, M., & Wunsch, C. (2008). What did all the money do? On the general ineffectiveness of recent German labour market programmes. Kyklos, 61(1), 134–174.CrossRef

Lehmann, H. (1995). Active labour market policies in the OECD and in selected transition economies. Working paper no. 539-96, World Bank Policy Reasearch.

Madsen, P. K. (2002a). Flexicurity through labour market policies and institutions in Denmark. In P. Auer & S. Cazes (Eds.), Employment stability in an age of flexibility (pp. 59–105). Geneve: International Labour Office.

Madsen, P. K. (2002b). The Danish model of flexicurity: A paradise—With some snakes. In H. Sarfati & G. Bonoli (Eds.), Employment protection reforms in international perspective (pp. 243–265). Aldershot: Ashgate.

Madsen, P. K. (2004). The Danish model of “flexicurity”: experiences and lessons. Transfer, 10, 187–207.CrossRef

Madsen, P. K. (2007). Distribution of responsibility for social security and labour market policy. Country report: Denmark. AIAS working paper 07/51. Amsterdam: Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies.

Mazziotta, C. (2005). La stima del capitale pubblico a livello regionale: una riflessione di metodo”. In M. Carlucci & G. Esposito (Eds.), Statistica economica e strumenti di analisi. Roma: Studi in memoria di Antonino Giannone, ISCONA.

Mazziotta, C., Mazziotta, M., Pareto, A., & Vidoli, F. (2010). La sintesi di indicatori territoriali di dotazione infrastrutturale: Metodi di costruzione e procedure di ponderazione a confronto. Rivista di Economia e Statistica del Territorio, 1, 7–33.

Mazziotta, M., & Pareto, A. (2007). Un indicatore sintetico di dotazione infrastrutturale: Il metodo delle penalità per coefficiente di variazione. Lo sviluppo regionale nell’Unione Europea—Obiettivi, strategie, politiche. Atti della XXVIII Conferenza Italiana di Scienze Regionali, AISRe, Bolzano.

McAnaney, D., & Wynne, R. (2010). Active inclusion of young people with disabilities or health problems: background paper. Luxembourg: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.

McVicar, D. (2006). Why do disability benefit rolls vary between regions? A review of the evidence from the USA and the UK. Regional Studies, 40(5), 519–533.CrossRef

McVicar, D. (2008). Why have UK disability benefit rolls grown so much? Journal of Economic Surveys, 22(1), 114–139.CrossRef

Ministry of Employment. (2006–2007). Quarta relazione al parlamento sullo stato di attuazione della legge 12 marzo 1999, n. 68. Norme per il diritto al lavoro dei disabili, Roma.

Ministry of Employment. (2008–2009). Quinta relazione al parlamento sullo stato di attuazione della legge 12 marzo 1999, n. 68. Norme per il diritto al lavoro dei disabili, Roma.

Ministry of Employment. (2010–2011). Sesta relazione al parlamento sullo stato di attuazione della legge 12 marzo 1999, n. 68. Norme per il diritto al lavoro dei disabili, Roma.

OECD. (2004). Employment protection regulation and labour market performance. In OECD (Ed.), OECD employment outlook (pp. 61–101). Paris: OECD.

OECD. (2009a). Sickness, disability and work: Keeping on track in the economic downturn. Stockholm: Background Paper for the High-Level Forum.

OECD. (2009b). Sickness, disability and work. Addressing policy challenges in OECD countries. Stockholm: OECD High-Level Forum.

Orlando, N., & Patrizio, M. (2006). Il collocamento mirato dei disabili: L’applicazione della legge 68/1999 nella Provincia di Bolzano. In G. Parodi (Ed.), Aspetti socioeconomici della disabilità (pp. 179–216). Roma: ARACNE editrice.

Parodi, G. (2007). Persone disabili istituzionalizzate in Italia. In G. Parodi (Ed.), Aspetti socioeconomici della disabilità (pp. 97–112). Roma: ARACNE editrice.

Parodi, G., & Sciulli, D. (2008). Disability in Italian households: Income, poverty and labour market participation. Applied Economics, 40(20), 2615–2630.CrossRef

Puhani, P. (1999). Evaluating active labour market policies—Empirical evidence for Poland during transition. ZEW Economic Studies, Vol. 5. Heidelberg: Physica-Verlag.

Rogowski, R. (2008). Governance of the European social model: The case of flexicurity. Intereconomics, March/April, 82–91.

Silva, H. B., Disney, R., & Martin, S. J. (2010). Disability, capacity for work and the business cycle: An international perspective. Economic Policy, 25, 483–536.CrossRef

Staiger, D., & Stock, J. H. (1997). Instrumental variables regression with weak instruments. Econometrica, 65(3), 557–586.CrossRef

Van Ours, J. C. (2004). The locking-in of subsidized jobs. Journal of Comparative Economics, 32(1), 37–48.CrossRef

Viebrock, E., & Clasen, J. (2009). Flexicurity a state of the art review. REC-WP 01/2009, Working papers on the reconciliation of work and welfare in Europe. RECWOWE Publication, Dissemination and Dialogue Centre, Edinburgh.

Wilthagen, T., & Rogoswski, R. (2002). The legal regulation of transitional labour markets. In G. Schmid & B. Gazier (Eds.), The dynamics of full employment (pp. 233–273). Cheltenham: Edwar Elgar.

Wilthagen, T., & Tros, F. (2004). The concept of flexicurity: A new approach to regulating employment and labour markets. European Review of Labour and Research, 10(2), 166–186.

Title: Speculation on a Flexicurity Index for Disabled People: The Italian Case
Authors: M. Agovino
A. Rapposelli
Publication date: 13-11-2015
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Social Indicators Research / Issue 1/2017
Print ISSN: 0303-8300
Electronic ISSN: 1573-0921
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-015-1181-5

Springer Professional

Abstract

Please log in to get access to your license.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Other articles of this Issue 1/2017

The Validity of the Day Reconstruction Method in the German Socio-economic Panel Study

What Happened to the Society of Leisure? Of the Gap Between the “Haves” and “Have Nots” (Canadian Time Use and Well-Being Trends)

Greater Happiness for a Greater Number: Did the Promise of Enlightenment Come True?

Long Term Trends in Life Satisfaction, 1973–2012: Flanders in Europe

On the Relationship Between Atypical Work(s) and Mental Health: New Insights from the Italian Case

Measuring Stability and Change: Methodological Issues in Quality of Life studies