Before moving to Silicon Valley 5 years ago, I grew up and worked in Italy and I confirm those numbers. The only employment available in Italy right now is basically temp contracting paid a fraction of the relative full time position, with no job security. These "precarious" employees are often Master's Degree holders forced to accept those shitty jobs because, well, they are the only one available -- either that or leave the country, as many do. It you're thinking "why don't those smart people start a business then?", suffice it to say the government makes it extremely complicated. There's a lot of bureaucracy involved that is a big deterrent for many.