Impact of the 2008 and 2012 financial crises on the unemployment rate in Italy: an interrupted time series approach

One of the most widely recognized indicators of a recession is a rising unemployment rate. In Italy, from the late nineties this indicator continuously decreased over time until 2007. The aim of this paper is to study the immediate impact and persistence of the 2008 global financial crisis and the 2012 European sovereign debt crisis on the Italian unemployment rate by using a segmented regression analysis approach of interrupted time series. Quarterly data were collected from the website of the Italian National Institute of Statistics. In particular, the impact of the financial crises was evaluated across some subpopulations of interest by stratifying unemployment rate for age groups, in order to highlight the effects on youth unemployment, gender and macro-regions. Finally, to provide a more in-depth analysis, some information on the effects of the two economic recessions was also given about the people not engaged in Education, Employment or Trainin

CONTEXTUAL FACTORS OF THE EXTERNAL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION: A MULTILEVEL APPROACH

Abstract. This paper aims at measuring the external effectiveness of the degree programmes of Italian universities taking into account both the characteristics of graduates and some context factors that differently affect the Italian regional labour markets. The analysis is performed via a multilevel logistic model using the Istat survey on Italian graduates of year 2004. Considering job placement one year after graduation, the regional youth unemployment rate affects the occupational chances, but this effect is moderate especially for degree programmes yielding high occupational chances. Even after controlling for the youth unemployment rate, the probability of getting job for graduates in the same subject area is markedly different across universities

Students’ satisfaction and teaching efficiency of university offer

This study analyses the factors affecting students’ satisfaction with university experience, focusing on the aspects characterising the teaching efficiency of educational offer. For this purpose, organisation of teaching activities, available information, teaching materials, and other facilities offered to students to make their learning experience more successful, are considered as indicators of teaching efficiency. Our interest in this topic is justified by the importance that students’ satisfaction assumes, not only as indicator of the quality of educational services but also for its relationship with overall life satisfaction and subjective well-being. A structural equation model with latent variables is estimated by using survey and administrative data of the University of Pisa. Main findings seem to show that teaching efficiency has a positive effect on satisfaction and suggest that whenever it is inadequate, or at least, considered as such, students are less satisfied for their university experience. The effects of other factors on students’ satisfaction such as studies organisation, social capital and internship experience are also discussed

Zero-inflated Beta regression model for predicting first-year performance in university career

The background preparation of students entering the university system is checked through evaluation tests in Italy. The test is non-selective in most degree programmes, as it does not preclude the possibility of enrolling in the student’s chosen program. However, the initial preparation and attitude of the students seem to be key issues in explaining their performance and predicting the performance outcome of their first-year in university. The evaluation test results are used to predict the students’ performance at the end of the first year by a zero inflated beta regression model. The analysis was conducted on the evaluation test carried out in 2013 with students at the Department of Economics and Management, University of Pis

Internal effectiveness of educational offer and students’ satisfaction: a SEM approach

The aim of this paper is to explain the relationship between university students’ satisfaction with their study experience career and the perception of a poor effectiveness of the organizational aspects of the teaching activities. This relationship can be modelled with a structural equation approach. The analysis is performed using a data set collected by a CATI survey on students enrolled at the University of Pisa in the academic year 2010-‘11

A finite mixture model approach on the first year university drop-out probability

University drop-out is one of the most important problems occurring in degree courses. The aim of this study is to analyze the first year drop-out at the University of Pisa. The analysis is focused on identifying the covariates affecting the probability to drop-out and on detecting the possible existence of unobserved subgroups of students having different drop-out rates. A dataset from the administrative data was collected for the cohort of freshmen enrolled to the first cycle degree courses in the academic years 2009 and 2010. The characteristics that affect the subgroups membership should represent an useful information for carrying out academic policy changes that could reduce the drop-out rate

Labour market condition in Italy during and after the financial crises: a segmented regression analysis approach of interrupted time series

One of the most widely recognized indicators of the labour market condition is a rising unemployment rate. In Italy, after the 2008 global financial crisis and the 2012 European sovereign debt crisis, this indicator continuously increased over time until late 2014, after which it seems to happen a trend reversal. The aim of this paper is to assess the existence a significant trend reversal in the unemployment rate after 2014, by analysing quarterly data collected from the Italian National Institute of Statistics using a segmented regression analysis approach of interrupted time series. In particular, the analysis is carried out considering some subpopulations of interest, by stratifying unemployment rate for age groups, in order to examine youth unemployment, gender and macro-regions. Moreover, a focus is given to the analysis of the percentage of people Not Engaged in Education, Employment or Training, to provide a more in-depth analysis of the labour market