Regulated occupations in Italy: Extent and labour market effects

Abstract

This work provides a descriptive assessment of regulated occupations in Italy and examines the impact of regulation on the labour market over the past fifteen years. First, we construct, on the basis of the applicable legal provisions, a set of novel indicators measuring whether and to what extent each occupation is regulated. We then provide a long-run descriptive assessment of the extent of regulated occupations, showing that the share of workers involved has steadily increased over time reaching about one fourth in 2018 (more than one half among workers with a college degree). Finally, we show that these occupations are characterised by lower mobility and by a significant wage premium (particularly for the most highly regulated ones).