Incomes fall in the Eurozone, Italian ones collapse. This is certified by the OECD, in the profile on Italy of its annual report on the welfare state of the countries (Society at a glance 2014). According to the Parisian organization, in fact, the double crisis of recent years (first the global financial one, then the one on public debts in the Euro area) has subtracted 2.400 euros from the average per capita income in Italy, one of the highest figures in the whole 'Eurozone, where the average drop was "only" 1.1000 euros a year.
After the decline, the average Italian per capita income fell to 16.200 euros a year. “The significant reduction in incomes – explains the OECD report – reflects the deterioration of conditions in the labor market for all segments of the population, young people in particular. At 55 per cent, the proportion of people of working age in employment is the fourth lowest among 34 OECD countries.
In Italy, the report continues, between 2007 and 2013 unemployment increased at a rate of 5.100 workers per week, so much so that one fifth of the total increase in the jobless in the Eurozone is due to Italy, to which the Parisian organization attributes a great weakness of the social security system in responding to the needs of those who have lost their jobs or have seen their income from work contract.
According to the OECD, which approved the first work steps taken by the government led by Matteo Renzi, the country has "urgent need for reforms" and "the economic recovery alone will not be sufficient" to repair the damage caused by the crisis. “The recent proposals for reform of the labor market and the extension of the social security system – reads the report -, through universal unemployment benefits and proposals for a more unified support system for workers with minimum income, represent important steps in the right direction."
As mentioned, the attention of the Parisian organization focuses on the unpreparedness of the Italian social security system, unable to “deal with a sharp increase in unemployment, especially in the long term, and in poverty. Fewer than 4 out of 10 unemployed receive unemployment benefits and Italy, together with Greece, is one of only two European countries without a comprehensive national system of benefits aimed at low-income groups”.
Paradoxically, relatively wealthier families have greater access to benefits from the social protection system. The serious risk, for the OECD, is "that economic difficulties and inequalities become rooted in society". “With a total decline in incomes of 12 per cent between 2008 and 2010, the bottom 10 per cent of the population suffered much greater losses than the richest 10 per cent, for whom the loss is amounted to 2 percent".
