I'd like to add that actual figures for Italy are hard to estimate correctly.
Many, many people work under the table, very often pretending that they're still out of work to keep getting the unemployment check.
Many, many people work under the table, very often pretending that they're still out of work to keep getting the unemployment check.
It's a very complicated subject--which I can talk about if you're interested--but I don't know if you can really blame them. Taxes in Italy are almost 50%. For years I've paid 45% in taxes and 1200/yr. for my accountant. In Poland, I only pay 19% for taxes and 40/mo. for my accountant, and services to citizens and public safety are about 1000 times better than Italy. It just feels wrong to pay taxes in Italy: you don't have any money left, and whenever you need something from the government it's a nightmare and done so badly that you feel you're in a third-world country.