2023/39 | LEM Working Paper Series | ||||||||||||||||
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Incomes and Employment of Italian Women, 1900-1950 |
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Giacomo Gabbuti and Maria Gomez Leon |
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Keywords | |||||||||||||||||
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Fascist Italy; female labour force participation; wage gaps; dynamic social tables.
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JEL Classifications | |||||||||||||||||
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E24, J16, J21, J31, N34
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Abstract | |||||||||||||||||
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In this paper, we aim to address a major gap in the economic history of interwar Italy, by discussing the evolution
of women's incomes and employment during this crucial period of Italian and European history. After examining
the available statistical evidence, we build on recently reconstructed dynamic social tables for Italy, from 1900 to
1950, to chart trends in both gender wage gap and female labour force participation, disaggregated by major
sectors. Our methodology greatly contributes to the understanding of history of women's work for pay, placing it
within the broader dynamics of income inequality. This approach also allows us to shed light on the growing gap
between Fascist claims and the reality of women's work: despite discriminatory laws, throughout these decades
women increased their presence and visibility in all sectors, with the only exception of agriculture. Conversely,
the March on Rome marked the beginning of a strong reversal in terms of gender wage gaps. We are thus able to
confirm the important role played by female work in the Fascist accumulation model, characterized by wage
squeezes and reduced private consumption.
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