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Income distribution measures obtained from standard household income surveys are usually published with a significant delay, of about 2 years. In this paper we propose a methodology for obtaining timelier indicators using the Italian Labour Force Survey (ILFS), a database which collects detailed information not only on individuals’ labour market status, but also on their households and wages. We develop a framework to estimate household labour income and we use it to construct distributional indicators that are available 1 year and half before the standard measures. After discussing the limitations of our approach, we show that the ILFS-based indicators closely track those calculated on standard household income surveys. The suggested indicators are not meant to substitute standard income measures but can offer up-to-date information, with the aim of better monitoring the distributional impact of changing macroeconomic conditions.

Meeting abstracts - A single PDF containing all abstracts in this supplement is available at http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/files/pdf/1532-429X-13-S1-full.pdf.EMPTY Introduction The pathological processes (ie alteration of myocardial perfusion) that occur during the acute phase of a myocarditis, are different from those of myocardial infarction. Purpose To compare the kinetics of gadolinium in acute myocarditis and acute myocardial infarction and 2 to establish the best interval between contrast injection and delayed contrast enhanced (DCE) image acquisition for the diagnosis of acute myocarditis.

This paper examines the social welfare bases of the measurement of income inequality among the inhabitants of the world. We develop a general family of global inequality indices which encompasses different concepts of global equity, from the cosmopolitan to the nationalist view. The analysis also provides an interpretation of the EU-wide inequality measures adopted in European statistics.

This study aimed to assess the diagnostic criteria, ancillary investigations and treatment response using real-life data in multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) patients. Clinical and laboratory data were collected from 110 patients enrolled in the Italian MMN database through a structured questionnaire. Twenty-six patients were excluded due to the unavailability of nerve conduction studies or the presence of clinical signs and symptoms and electrodiagnostic abnormalities inconsistent with the MMN diagnosis. Analyses were conducted on 73 patients with a confirmed MMN diagnosis and 11 patients who did not meet the diagnostic criteria. The European Federation of Neurological Societies/Peripheral Nerve Society (EFNS/PNS) diagnostic criteria were variably applied. When applying the American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine criteria, an additional 17% of patients fulfilled the criteria for probable/definite diagnosis whilst a further 9.5% missed the diagnosis. In 17% of the patients only compound muscle action potential amplitude, but not area, was measured and subsequently recorded in the database by the treating physician. Additional investigations, including anti-GM1 immunoglobulin M antibodies, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, nerve ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging, supported the diagnosis in 46%-83% of the patients. Anti-GM1 immunoglobulin M antibodies and nerve ultrasound demonstrated the highest sensitivity. Additional tests were frequently performed outside the EFNS/PNS guideline recommendations. This study provides insights into the real-world diagnostic and management strategies for MMN, highlighting the challenges in applying diagnostic criteria.

The spread of the pandemic and the consequent adoption of lockdown measures to prevent infections had severe consequences for business activity and employment. By using data from the Italian Labour Force Survey, this paper simulates the effect of the COVID-19 crisis on the dynamics and distribution of equivalized labour income in the first two quarters of 2020. Moreover, it assesses the effectiveness in smoothing labour income losses of the social insurance benefits that were in place before the crisis and of the temporary measures adopted by the Italian Government to face it. We find that the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 shock impacted low-income households more heavily than higher income families, implying a substantial increase in labour income inequality. However, our results show that the social insurance benefits temporarily introduced by the Italian Government were able, at least in the short term, to compensate for these income losses and for the increased inequality significantly more than the pre-crisis measures.

This paper analyses the effects of raising the statutory full retirement age on the labour force participation of middle-aged individuals and their partners. Identification relies on a difference-in-differences setting that exploits the large heterogeneous increase in the age eligibility for retirement caused by an unexpected Italian pension reform. We detect a sizeable increase in the participation rate of middle-aged women that spills over into their husbands' labour supply, who choose to postpone their retirement decision.

The aim of the paper is to characterize the optimal child care policies (subsidies and state provision), assuming that child care provision affects the child�s future abilities. Public intervention is needed since two sources of economic inefficiency are contemporaneously influential: parents do not properly account for the impact of child care on future generations (human capital externalities) and income tax is distortive, hence labour supply is suboptimal. In an optimal income tax model, altruistic parents provide child care either by providing care at home or by paying for it on the market. If the government is able to observe the amount of domestic care provided by parents, it is optimal to subsidize provision of paid child care if only to correct the human capital externality. If, conversely, it is not possible to observe the amount of domestic care, market-provided child care is subsidized, including for redistributive reasons. In fact, an efficiency case for higher child care subsidies to lower income earners arises. State provision of child care may be desirable when market care purchases cannot be observed at the household level.

This paper analyses the Italian system of social shock absorbers (unemployment benefits and short-time work schemes) and active labour market policies (ALMPs), in comparison with those implemented in the main euro-area economies. The analysis also includes guaranteed minimum income schemes that, despite not being social shock absorbers, act as last resort incomes when these absorbers are not accessible or sufficient for households’ basic needs. The overall structure of the Italian social insurance system is fairly similar to that in Germany, France and Spain, as are the types of schemes in place. However, each scheme features some design and implementation weaknesses with respect to its European counterpart. The most critical aspects involve: poor implementation and coordination of the ALMPs with the unemployment benefit and the new minimum income scheme; the eligibility for short-time work schemes to closing firms, maintaining inefficient job matches; labour supply disincentives and inequalities in the design of the new minimum income scheme.

This paper examines the social welfare bases of the measurement of income inequality among the inhabitants of the world. We develop a general family of global inequality indices which encompasses different concepts of global equity, from the cosmopolitan to the nationalist view. The analysis also provides an interpretation of the EU-wide inequality measures adopted in European statistics.