Unemployment Dynamics of the ’Mezzogiornos of Europe’. Lessons for the Mezzogiorno of Italy

The unemployment dynamics in the Mezzogiorno of Italy seem to corroborate the New Economic Geography predictions, whereby, under some specific hypotheses, a stronger economic integration can amplify the regional polarisation of unemployment rates in Europe. It is, however, unclear which features characterize the South of Italy compared to other Peripheral areas in the Union. To answer this question, this work investigates the Core/Periphery pattern in the European Union and carries out a comparative analysis of unemployment rates of the different ‘Mezzogiornos of Europe’. Finally, some policy prescriptions are proposed to reduce unemployment in the South of Italy.