Thirty years on the relationship between fertility and female employment A cluster analysis of Italian Regions

Traditionally, the Italian territory has been divided according to well differentiated economic, social, demographic and cultural performances. This paper aims to analyze part of this cross-national diversity and to propose a classification of Italian regions that is adjusted to the different axes of the relationship between fertility and female employment and, simultaneously, that remains useful for regional and local policy purposes. Multivariate statistical techniques allow the identification of clusters of fertility-employment similarity, which are contrasted over a thirty years period (1981–2011). Results point to the emergence of a highly differentiated fertility employment relationship over the last ten years, which suggests the need for a special attention to the spatial boundaries for resource allocation and the application of regional policies and public measures.