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Taxation and female labor supply in Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Fabrizio Colonna

    (BI - Banca d´Italia)

  • Stefania Marcassa

    (THEMA - Théorie économique, modélisation et applications - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - CY - CY Cergy Paris Université)

Abstract

Italy has the lowest labor supply of married women among EU countries. Moreover, the participation rate of married women is positively correlated with their husbands' income. We show that these two features can be partly explained by the tax system: a high tax rate together with tax credits and transfers raise the burden of two-earner households, generating disincentives to work. We estimate two structural models of labor supply: one where the husband's labor supply is inelastic and one with joint couple decisions. Then we use the estimated parameters to simulate the effects of alternative revenue-neutral tax systems on labor supply. We find that working tax credit and gender-based taxation boost it, with the effects of the former being concentrated on low educated women. Conversely, joint taxation implies a drop in the participation rate. JEL codes: J21, J22, H31

Suggested Citation

  • Fabrizio Colonna & Stefania Marcassa, 2015. "Taxation and female labor supply in Italy," Post-Print hal-03677663, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03677663
    DOI: 10.1186/s40173-015-0030-0
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    Cited by:

    1. Luca Villamaina & Paolo Acciari, 2023. "Taxation and labour supply decisions: an evaluation of the earned income tax credit in Italy," Working Papers wp2023-20, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Department of Finance.
    2. Francesca Carta & Fabrizio Colonna, 2025. "Minimum income and household labour supply," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1479, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    3. Jochen Hundsdoerfer & Eva Matthaei, 2022. "Gender Discriminatory Taxes, Fairness Perception, and Labor Supply," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 78(1-2), pages 156-207.
    4. Pietro Giorgio Lovaglio & Adalgisa Perrelli, 2024. "Individual and regional determinants of women’s participation in the European labour market: a Labour Force Survey empirical study," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 71(4), pages 785-812, December.
    5. Francesca Carta, 2019. "Female labour supply in Italy: the role of parental leave and child care policies," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 539, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    6. Ekkehard Ernst & Rossana Merola & Jelena Reljic, 2025. "Fiscal Policy Instruments for Inclusive Labor Markets: A Review," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(5), pages 2020-2041, December.
    7. International Monetary Fund, 2016. "Italy: Selected Issues," IMF Staff Country Reports 2016/223, International Monetary Fund.
    8. Michal Andrle & Shafik Hebous & Alvar Kangur & Mehdi Raissi, 2021. "Italy: toward a growth-friendly fiscal reform," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 38(1), pages 385-420, April.
    9. Adda Carla Justiniano Medina & Marie Valentova, 2025. "Is There an Employment Advantage for Immigrant Women Who Marry Natives in Italy?," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 41(1), pages 1-43, December.
    10. Reljic, Jelena & Zezza, Francesco, 2025. "Breaking the divide: Can public spending on social infrastructure boost female employment in Italy?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    11. Wei Wang & Shengbo Zhang, 2022. "The Impact of Internet Use on Rural Women’s Off-Farm Work Participation: Empirical Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-18, December.
    12. Brand, Claus & Obstbaum, Meri & Coenen, Günter & Sondermann, David & Lydon, Reamonn & Ajevskis, Viktors & Hammermann, Felix & Angino, Siria & Hernborg, Nils & Basso, Henrique & Hertweck, Matthias & Bi, 2021. "Employment and the conduct of monetary policy in the euro area," Occasional Paper Series 275, European Central Bank.
    13. Hundsdoerfer, Jochen & Matthaei, Eva Kristina, 2020. "Gender discriminatory taxes, fairness perception, and labor supply," Discussion Papers 2020/6, Free University Berlin, School of Business & Economics.
    14. Emanuele Ciani & Roberto Torrini, 2019. "The Geography of Italian Income Inequality: Recent Trends and the Role of Employment," Politica economica, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 2, pages 173-208.
    15. Paolo Di Caro, 2017. "The contribution of tax statistics for analysing regional income disparities in Italy," Journal of Income Distribution, Ad libros publications inc., vol. 25(1), pages 1-27, March.
    16. Francesca Fiori & Giorgio Di Gessa, 2023. "Influences on Employment Transitions around the Birth of the First Child: The Experience of Italian Mothers," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 37(1), pages 196-214, February.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household

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