We examine the role of information networks in job-search outcomes of displaced individuals. We draw on longitudinal Social Security records covering the universe of worker-firm matches in a tight labor market in Northern Italy. Unlike previous research, we focus on workplace networks whose...

We provide new evidence on the impact of peer effects on the schooling decisions of teenagers. In November 1980 a major earthquake hit Southern Italy. In the aftermath, young men from certain towns were exempted from compulsory military service. We show that the exemption raised high school...

The recent debate on Italy's unsatisfactory economic performance has been focused on the increasing competitive pressures exerted by foreign firms localized in low-wage developing countries and specialized in products where Italy used to hold a comparative advantage. This paper aims at...