The End of the Age of Dualisation? A Comparative Analysis of Fifty Years of Labour Market Protection Reforms in Spain and Italy
Résumé
We suggest that labour market dualisation can be part of a liberalisation process in two steps. First, we develop an eight-fold taxonomy to classify labour market protection reforms – covering employment, unemployment and collective protection – based on how they affect (de)commodification levels for insiders and outsiders. Second, through a comparative historical analysis over fifty years (1970-2020), we examine reform trajectories in Spain and Italy, two prominent examples of labour market dualism. We reveal a process of ‘liberalisation through dualisation’ characterised by two phases: (1) a shift from a declining Fordist order to dualisation, which primarily weakened outsiders’ protection, and (2) ‘downward convergence’ of protection for insiders. Spain and Italy shared this path but differed in the timing and characteristics of the legislative process. More broadly, we offer a replicable and transparent methodology to qualitatively code policy change and its intensity.
Mots clés
Domaines
| Origine | Fichiers éditeurs autorisés sur une archive ouverte |
|---|---|
| licence |

