How Italian Elder Care and Immigration Policies Disproportionately Provide Job Security to Female Migrants

How Italian Elder Care and Immigration Policies Disproportionately Provide Job Security to Female Migrants Public Deposited

Last Modified

Creator

Fraser, Kelsey
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Political Science

Abstract

Between the years of 2005-2013 foreign-born females living in Italy enjoyed a period of relative job stability despite the fact that the labor market endured a number of external shocks (i.e. the economic crisis, increased migrant flows, low levels of economic growth). In this time period, the unemployment rate of foreign-born females rose seven percentage points, while other vulnerable groups (e.g. foreign-born men, youth) in the Italian labor-market experienced a more dramatic rise in unemployment. This thesis will explain this relative job stability during this time period through an examination of Italy's elder care and immigration policies, and how the concentration of female migrants in the care industry has shielded them from the impacts of the economic crisis. In the end, the stability that foreign-born females have experienced is a positive, but does not eliminate the other vulnerabilities that female migrants face in their day-to-day lives. This thesis will argue that in order for the Italian state to prevent a long-term problem and maintain Italian society's preference for home care it will be necessary for Italy to create legislation that moves care work out of the informal sector. This will facilitate the integration of female migrant care workers into society and make the growing care sector more attractive to other groups within the labor market.

Date of publication