The Impact of the Crisis on Economy and Labour Market, in the Southern European Countries. What about the "Mediterranean Model"?

This paper presents the first results of a research project developed in the last year. It aims at analysing and comparing the impact of the crisis on economy and labour market in the Southern European Countries (SECs). In the sociological and economic literature, these countries are considered similar up to the point of being included in a unique socio-economic model, named "Mediterranean". Starting from the evidence that the economic impact of the crisis in countries such as Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain cause different changes in the labour market indicators, the analysis tries to test the theory of the existence of the "Mediterranean model" in the way in which the SECs reacted to the crisis. Data related both to the labour market and to national economic impact have been analysed. Eurostat was the principal data source. The analysis compares the main indicators before and after the crisis about the economic impact, the labour market changes, as well as convergences and divergences between the two. The results point out the existence of significant divergences among the SECs in the way they have been affected by the crisis. This awareness should lead the analysts to be cautious with the idea of the existing homogeneity of this area, above all at the time of designing public policies. The existence of a "Mediterranean model", as for the reaction to the crisis, is open to contention.