Italy: a statistical overview of employment & disability
Data recently released from Italy's Ministry of Labor and Social Policy provide a snapshot of the employment and economic status of its people with disabilities.
Specifically covered are work situations, employment and unemployment levels, policies on work placement relating to compulsory employment, and social cooperatives. Information is also included on people with disabilities's satisfaction with work, economic situations, and work types and hours.
Data were derived from two sources:
- The "Health Conditions and Access to Health Services" survey (1999) for information on work situations, employment and unemployment levels, and general satisfaction with work and economic situations; and
- The "European Community Household Panel" (1996) for data on satisfaction with specific aspects of work including earnings, job security, work type, and work hours.
Work and Employment in Figures
(Note: 'ISTAT' stands for Italy's National Statistical Institute)
Employment and Unemployment
- Employment of people with disabilities in 1999 was 20.8%, while unemployment was 14.8% (ISTAT, 1999).
- 28.2% of employed people with disabilities work in agriculture triple the figure for employed people without disabilities (9.6%). (ISTAT, 1999).
- People with sensory disabilities have a higher employment level (22.9%) than those with functional disabilities (11.7%). (ISTAT, 1999)
Social Cooperatives
- From 1996 to 1999 the number of social cooperatives increased from 3,857 to 6,200 (60.7%). (Ministry of Labor, 1996, 1999)
- Around 30% of social cooperatives employ disadvantaged persons. (Ministry of Labor, 1996, 1999)
Compulsory Employment
- Around 40-50% of persons covered by the law on "compulsory employment" are employed. The level is highest in the north and lowest in the south. (Ministry of Labor, 1996, 1999)
Job Satisfaction
- 61% of people with disabilities are very or quite satisfied with their job, while 47.7% are little or not at all satisfied (Istat, 1999)
- People with disabilities are much more satisfied with job security than the nondisabled (96% of more severely disabled and 21% of those less severely disabled against 0.4% for nonpeople with disabilities). (Istat, 1999)
More statistical data about disabled persons in Italy may be obtained from the Web site of the Information System on Handicap project of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, implemented by ISTAT: www.istat.it.
|
