To find the answer to the question: «To what extent are Italians committed to work», working hours in Italy, Europe and the Us are compared and analysed to ascertain how they constitute an important element of the occupational model. Once demonstrated that the Italian occupational model guarantees a level of working commitment higher than the Eu average, productivity and per capita production results are examined. The clear loss of advantage of the Italian economy emerges from the comparative framework. The paper concludes by indicating some policy measures on working hours aimed at reorganising workplaces for the recovery of productivity. only subscribers can see the full article

The article outlines the history of social Europe and describes the present situation, focusing on the implications of the European Council of Lisbon in March 2000 when Heads of State and governments decided to set a new ambitious objective for the EU: to become the most competitive knowledge economy in the world, based on full quality employment with an increased social cohesion. The common strategy for occupation, the new social agenda and the efforts for greater co-operation on inclusion and social protection are examined in detail. The article also takes a look at the future scenario, examining the results of the Convention from a social perspective and drawing some conclusions on the prospects of the intergovernmental conference.only subscribers can see the full article