Abstract

The issue of undeclared work performed by foreigners has been acknowledged for its relevance in the socio-economic debate. The INAPP survey “Data collection activities, through interviews, aimed at reconstructing the cognitive framework of the characteristics of undeclared and irregular work of foreigners in Italyµ has delved into this issue by listening to the voices of the workers themselves, interviewed with the PAPI (pen-and-paper personal interviews) method, thus deriving a cross-cutting overview of economic activity sectors. Among the main findings of the survey, summarised in the article, is the wide prevalence of so-called “greyµ work in addition to work performed without any form of contract; it also highlights that foreign women are more exposed to horizontal segregation, being employed in a very limited spectrum of occupations, and that irregularity in the work environment facilitates de-qualification of workers. Finally, it is noted that, among the ambitions of foreign workers with respect to their employment future, work regularity remains in the background, while continuity of the employment relationship, and its remuneration gain relevance.