Lavoro povero e politiche per le famiglie in Italia: riforme, criticità e prospettive future

The article provides an analysis of in-work poverty (IWP) in Italy through the lens of family policies. Adopting an evolutionary perspective, the work focuses on the analytical study of three specific programs: a) cash transfers, with particular attention to family allowances and the recent “Assegno Unico Universale” (AUU); 2) leaves; and 3) the early childhood education and care system (ECEC). From a theoretical perspective, the paper shows that family policies can be a useful tool to tackle in-work poverty, both directly and indirectly. On the one hand, they provide direct income support for the most disadvantaged families, on the other they increase the female employment rate, thus encouraging the transition to a dual-earner family model. However, the analysis of the Italian case showcases that the positive effects in countering IWP are only poten- 148 Variazioni su Temi di Diritto del Lavoro Il lavoro povero in Italia: problemi e prospettive | 2022 tial, and not automatic. The effectiveness of family policies depends on the design of the policy and on the extent to which this design is consistent with the goal of decreasing inequalities.