The term 'NEET' originated in the 1990s in England, referring to young people who do not study, work, or participate in vocational training. Since the 21st century, the Nite phenomenon has become a global issue, with Italy having the highest Nite rate of 25.1%, posing pressure on social development. Solving the problem of youth employment has become an important task for Italian society.

Definition of the concept of the "Nite ethnic group" in Italy

The concept definition of the Italian "Nite ethnic group" was discussed, indicating that youth unemployment became a major social issue in Europe in the late 1980s. In 1997, British sociologist Howard Williamson proposed that the traditional classification method for youth employment groups was no longer applicable. In 1999, the British government defined young people aged 16-18 who did not attend school, work, or receive vocational training as "NEET". In 2010, the European Employment Commission defined young people aged 15-24 who do not work, attend school, or receive vocational training after completing compulsory education as "NETs". With the passage of time, the age limit for the "Nite ethnic group" has been continuously expanded, and age definitions of 15-29 years old and 15-34 years old have appeared in the survey reports of the European Union Statistics Office and national statistical offices. This article refers to research conducted by relevant departments in Italy and selects the age range of 15-34 years old as the age range for the "Nite ethnic group" in Italy.

Overview of the Italian "Nite Tribe"

Since the economic crisis in 2008, Italy's Nite rate has remained higher than the European average, reaching 27.4% in 2014. In 2019, the Nite rate for the 15-19 age group was 75% higher than the European average. In 2020, the COVID-19 will further increase the Nite rate. The number of Nites aged 15-34 will exceed 3 million, and the Nite rate will reach 25.1%, becoming the EU country with the highest Nite rate. The Italian Nite ethnic group is mainly composed of four groups: 15-19 year old dropouts, 20-24 year old unemployed youth, 25-29 year old unemployed youth, and 30-34 year old unemployed youth. There are differences among the Nite ethnic group in terms of region, gender, and nationality: the southern Nite ethnic group has the highest number and Nite rate, with a higher proportion of female Nite than male Nite, and an increasing proportion of foreign immigrant Nite. The low employment enthusiasm of female NET people is related to their role as family caregivers. Foreign immigrants from the NEET ethnic group have low educational backgrounds and face difficulties in finding employment and the risk of unemployment.

3 Reasons for the emergence of the "Nite ethnic group" in Italy

The reasons for the emergence of the "Nite" phenomenon in Italy involve the coexistence of insufficient and excessive education, low acceptance of youth in the labor market, and the impact of the "national subsidy" policy. The low level of education leads to an increase in employment difficulties for low educated individuals, while high educated young people face employment difficulties due to the disconnect between education and market demand, as well as high job expectations. Italian small and medium-sized enterprises adopt the "flexible production" model, which increases the demand for flexible employment, resulting in young people with less work experience being excluded from the labor market. The delayed retirement reform has squeezed out employment opportunities for young people, and interpersonal networks play a decisive role in employment. The flexible reform of the labor market has led to an increased risk of unemployment for young workers. Although the "national subsidy" policy aims to promote employment, the phenomenon of "ineffective employment" is caused by high effective marginal tax rates. Sometimes, not being employed can actually guarantee daily life and further reduce the enthusiasm of young people for employment.

4 Measures and Problems of Italy's Response to the "Nite Nation" Issue

The Italian government has implemented multiple measures, including tax incentives, living allowances, and employment training, to address the issue of the "Nite ethnic group", among which the "Youth Security" program is a key policy. The program aims to provide employment, education, or training opportunities for young people under the age of 25, and later expanded to young people under the age of 30. In Italy, it specifically provides assistance for the "Nite" population aged 15-29, and in the southern region, it is even relaxed to 15-34 years old. Youth need to register on the official website and sign a personalized employment guidance plan to receive assistance services. However, the effectiveness of the plan is limited, and the NET rate is still higher than the EU average. The main problems include difficulties in docking, implementation, and lack of cooperation from enterprises. The difficulty in docking is reflected in the dependence of the plan on young people's independent applications, which makes it difficult to fully cover the "NET ethnic group", especially those without employment intentions and those with lower education levels. The difficulties in implementation are manifested as low service efficiency, incomplete implementation of aid services, and unwillingness of enterprises to cooperate with policies, resulting in insufficient work experience to make up for the shortage of education and the lack of improvement in youth employment competitiveness. The "Youth Security" program in Italy has failed to effectively address the issue of the "Nite ethnic group" and further improvement is needed. The proportion of "nits" in China has been increasing year by year, and Italy's experience and problems have reference significance for China.