This article deals with the spread of poverty and social exclusion throughout the juvenile, Italian population,
comparing it with its European counterparts. Besides the information concerning the distribution of income in
families with children, the family units\u2019 living conditions will also be taken into consideration as well as the
number of young people who are not enrolled at school, taking part on professional training courses and who are
not even employed.
The juvenile, Italian situation is distinctly marked, as you will see, compared to the European one, by a greater
spread of poverty, poor living conditions and the simultaneous lack of work or professional training.
If the families are foreign, the children\u2019s situation is even more precarious, in view of the fact that their
salaries are \u2013 in spite of performing the same duties \u2013 lower, on average, for immigrant workers. Many social
factors, connected with the labour market structure and economic policy choices all, undoubtedly, contribute to
this, but the Italian Welfare State\u2019s set up is also extremely important in that it invests very little in the support of
family units
