Digital transformation of public employment services in the post‐pandemic era. Evidence from Italy as a latecomer country

Abstract The Next Generation EU (NGEU) economic recovery package has set the conditions for unprecedented investment in policy areas considered of strategic importance by each Member State. This article focusses on the Italian case, characterised by long‐lasting weaknesses in active labour market policies and public employment services (PES) to analyse whether, and under what conditions, resources and programming of the magnitude of NGEU may be able to lead toward PES digital transformation. Italy's plan to enact NGEU has allocated 5.4 billion euro to fund a regionally implemented program aimed at reforming Italian PES where digitalisation represents a key objective. Based on interviews with PES officials and document analysis, it is possible to understand the extent to which such massive investments can pave the way for effective digital transformation and consider what (and how) additional factors may further influence such process.