International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Improving Access to Labour market Information for migrants and employers
90
and the remaining 13 per cent in the South and in the Islands. With regards to
the medium level of qualifications, the distribution of the immigrant population
does not differ substantially from that of Italian workers: the share of workers with
secondary education is fairly similar in the two groups. Nevertheless, immigrants
are more likely to have just primary education (13 versus 6% of natives) and less
likely to have college education (8 versus 16% of natives). As far as occupations are
concerned, about 82 per cent of foreign-born workers have a low- or medium-skilled
job: 59 per cent are blue-collar workers or artisans and 23 per cent are in low-skilled
jobs. The overall figure is in sharp contrast with the corresponding share for the
native population which is approximately half (43%). The skill downgrading and
segregation of immigrant workers in the lowest ranks of the occupational ladder is a
key – and worrying – feature of the labour market integration of foreign workers in
Italy (Fullin and Reyneri, 2011) (Dell´Aringa and Pagani, 2011).
In 2011, there were about 300,000 unemployed immigrants in Italy, which implies
an unemployment rate of around 12 per cent (in comparison to 8% for native
workers). The participation rate, instead, was higher for immigrants, being 75 per
cent for EU27 citizens, 69 per cent for non-EU27 citizens and 61 per cent for Italian
citizens in working age. The number of foreign citizens who are owners of firms in
Italy reached almost 360,000 in 2011, about 10 per cent of the total. Of this 10 per
cent, about 2 per cent are EU27 citizens and the remaining 8 per cent are non-EU27
citizens.
1.2. Labour migration policy
Legislative framework
Similarly to all other EU Member States, Italy regulates the access to its labour
market differently for EU citizens and non-EU citizens29 . EU citizens enjoy free
access to the Italian labour market. 30 Non-EU citizens’ access, instead, faces more
restrictions and is subject to yearly quotas.
Throughout the 1990s, Italy gradually attempted to set up a quota system to
manage the legal inflows of migrant workers. This system finally started to function
29 One of the main sources for this section is EMN Italy (2010). See Fasani (2008) for a brief summary
of the evolution of migration legislation in Italy. A detailed description of the Italian migration policy
and of its implementation can be found in Triandafyllidou and Veikou (2001). Zincone (1998) and
Zincone (2006) also present important insights on the process of decision making which has led to
past and current policies in Italy. More documents are available in Italian. Among these, Barbagli
(2007) provides a clear summary of the evolution of the recent migration legislation in the first chapter
of the report. While a comprehensive description of all the historical phases which have influenced
and shaped the Italian migration policy is given by Einaudi (2007) and, to a lesser extent, by Bonifazi
(2007).
30 As for citizens of New Member States, they gained free access to the labour market once the
transitional periods – adopted by the Italian government after the enlargements – had expired. The
transitional provisions for citizens of NMS who joined the EU in 2004 were abolished in July 2006.
From 1 January 2012, the Italian government has also decided to conclude the transitional period
and liberalize the access to the labour market for the countries which joined the EU with the 2007
Enlargement (Bulgaria and Romania).