The Italian Pension System: Development and Effects on Income Distribution and Poverty

This paper outlines the main features of the development of the Italian pensione system since the Second World War. It also analyses the present redistributive effects of the system and defines the role that supplementary funded plans could play. The former issue is tackled in the first part of the paper, the latter issues will be dealt with in the second part.     

The Outward Projection of Italian Firms: Facts and Figures on Foreign Affiliates

In the last two decades or so, globalisation has prompted a great deal of attention in the study of the international organisation of production, with in-depth industry studies on its welfare effects, both for firms and for workers. Outcomes did not prove a unique direction of effects, although the heterogeneous firms?? approach emphasised the intra-industry reallocation through intra-sectoral international competition. Thus, differences in the inner structure of companies filled the gap on the micro-level analysis that featured the study of international trade for several decades, although there is still the need to understand the effects of internationalisation on local systems of production and link such results to the consolidated meso-level of analysis of trade flows. Thanks to the microdata provided by the Italian Statistical Office (ISTAT), we are able to access information on the presence of Italian firms abroad, distinguished by geographical area of origin, destination and industry and check for their influence on affiliates?? structure and performance through appropriate indicators.     

Infant regulation during the pandemic: Associations with maternal response to the COVID-19 pandemic,well-being,and socio-emotional investment

In the transition to parenthood, the COVID-19 pandemic poses an additional strain on parental well-being. Confirmed infections or having to quarantine, as well as public health measures negatively affect parents and infants. Contrary to previous studies mainly focusing on the well-being of school-aged children and their parents during lockdown periods, the present study investigated how mothers of infants respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and whether this is related to maternal well-being, maternal socio-emotional investment, and infant regulation. Between April and June 2021, 206 mothers of infants (M_age = 7.14 months, SD_age = 3.75 months) reported on COVID-19 infections, their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, their well-being, socio-emotional investment, and their infant’s regulation. Exploratory factor analyses yielded five dimensions of maternal response to the COVID-19 pandemic: social distancing, worrying about the child, birth anxiety, distancing from the child, and information on COVID-19-related parenting behavior and support. These dimensions were related to mother-reported infant regulatory problems. Path analyses revealed paths via reduced maternal well-being and maternal socio-emotional investment. Maternal perceptions of infant regulatory problems are related to how the mothers respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Better information about COVID-19-related parenting behavior and support might buffer against these effects.     

The Italian Pension System: Development and Effects on Income Distribution and Poverty

Abstract. The study defines the role that supplementary funded pension plans could play in the Italian pension system. It also outlines the redistributive effects of pension benefits drawing on a survey of households' income. Finally it provides a brief assessment of the main problems of the Italian pension system.