The Political Economy of Work Security and Flexibility : : Italy in Comparative Perspective / / Fabio Berton, Matteo Richiardi, Stefano Sacchi.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Bristol University Press Backlist eBook-Package 2013-1995
• VerfasserIn: Berton, Fabio,; Richiardi, Matteo,; Sacchi, Stefano,
• Place / Publishing House: Bristol : : Policy Press, , [2012]; ©2012
• Year of Publication: 2012
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (200 p.)

The economic crisis has revealed the dark side of deregulation in the labour market: rising unemployment, limited access to social security and, due to low wages, no savings to count upon in bad times. This book casts light on the empirical relationship between labour market deregulation through non-standard contracts and the three main dimensions of worker security: employment, income and social security. Focusing on individual work histories, it looks at how labour market dynamics interact with the social protection system in bringing about inequality and insecurity. In this context Italy is put forward as the epitome of flexibility through non-standard work and compared with three similar countries: Germany, Spain and Japan. Results show that when flexibility is carried out as a mere cost-reduction device and social security only relies on insurance principles, deregulation leads to insecurity. 'The political economy of work security and flexibility' is essential reading for academics, students, practitioners and policy makers interested in the outcomes of labour market developments in advanced economies over the past twenty years.

Table of Contents

Front Matter -- Contents -- List of figues and tables -- Acknowledgements -- Notes on the authors -- Worker security and the spread of non-standard work -- Flexibility and security in contemporary labour markets -- Labour policy developments in Italy in comparative perspective -- Flexibility and employment security: an analysis of work careers -- Flexibility and wage dynamics -- Flexibility and social security -- A monetary measure of worker (in)security -- Conclusions -- The WHIP database -- Main work contracts in italy -- References -- Index