Il 21,5% of young Italians under 25 is out of work and out of education and training (NEET); among these 11% is “discouraged, disillusioned, he doesn't even look for work anymore because he thinks there isn't any”. The statements made by the director of the OECD labor division, Stefano Scarpetta, make us reflect. In his speech, Scarpetta also underlines the need to offer these young people new opportunities and motivations through specific information campaigns.
What worries the OECD is the so-called scar effect: those who entered the world of work late and with difficulty "will have a lower chance of being employed, and a lower salary than people with the same skills and in the same age group who entered at a different time". To this must be added the future problem of pensions: as Italy now has a contributory system, whereby those who start paying contributions will have a lower pension.
An intervention by the OECD is therefore necessary, as underlined by the secretary general Angel Gurria himself in the note announcing the launch of the Action plan on youth unemployment signed by the 34 member countries. Plan which includes both short-term measures aimed at relaunching economic growth and long-term interventions intended to intervene both on the rules of the world of work and on the training system.
To date, Italy ranks fourth among OECD countries in terms of percentage of unemployed young people, with a rate now nearly 39%. In front we find only Spain and Greece which exceed 50% and Portugal which stands at 40%.
