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Checco Zalone in Italy's popular movie "Quo Vado," (Where am I going?) about Italian's affection for the security of public sector jobs

01/14/2016

No prospect of career advancement. No problem said Italians in the past. Two of three Italians, according to newspaper La Stampa in Italy, now says they are willing to take risks if this means career advancement. Italy is changing in the provate sector as prime minister Renzi removes some of the strict labor laws that made firing and hiring difficult, reducing job mobility in the country. Yet the public sector has still similiar protections from that era. This movie provides Italians quite a few laughs, with the story of a government clerk whose only aspiration in life is a 9 to 5 government job, with some bribes, and authority to rubber stamp approvals. When asked what he had contributed in the movie the clerk proudly stamps, and stamps again with his rubber stamp. Spain created over 700,000 new jobs, Italy only about 125,000 in 2015 mostly parttime, showing how far Italy has still to go. Two countries where the movie could resonate are India and Japan. India because of the rubber stamp anecdote, and Japan because of the aspiration for work that offers job security for life- like Italy and Renzi, things are changing in India and Japan with Modi and Abe, a bit slowly.

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