Italy Considers Tax Break For 'Big Babies'

Italy's economy minister has offered 'big babies' a tax break to let go of their mother's cooking and leave home.

You see, more than a third of Italian men over the age of 30 live at home with their parents, a trend blamed on sky-high apartment rents and bleak job prospects as much as a liking for mamma's cooking. They're fondly called the country's 'big babies'.

Economy Minister Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa has offered to come to the rescue with a 1,000 euro ($1,400) tax break for men in their 20's and 30's who rent.

"We must send those we call 'big babies' out of the house," the minister told a Senate hearing on the 2008 budget. "With the budget we'll help young people who don't marry and still live with their parents get out of the house."

The comment has caused an uproar in the country with some suggesting a verbal apology and warning to the minister for the 'offensive epithet'.

Many Italians do not graduate until their late 20s and end up in poorly paid internships or with short-term contracts, with the best jobs often occupied by those over 50.

A sharp rise in the cost of living since the introduction of the euro has not helped, and even a 1,000 euro tax break will not be enough to help young Italians stand on their own feet, according to writer Aldo Nove.

"Renting an apartment 30 years ago cost a quarter of the salary of a worker," says Nove. "Today, it costs more than the salary of a young apprentice. What else is there to say?"

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