The effect of ending conscription on employment opportunities: evidence from Italy

Conscription has been long practiced in a number of European countries but has recently been in decline. This paper attempts to identify how the probability of being employed changes with the end of conscription. Data was provided by the Banca D'Italia – Survey of Household Income and Wealth – and analyzed for differences in employment opportunities following the end of conscription in 2005. A logit model was constructed and a triple-difference estimation method was utilized to examine employment differences between skilled and unskilled labor, less than 25 years, in 2002 and 2006. The triple-difference estimator found no significant changes in employment opportunities caused from the end of conscription. Further analysis of older cohorts revealed heterogeneity, as unskilled cohorts between 31 and 40 years experienced better employment opportunities after conscription.