This paper tries to analyze the legislative development in Italy on the protection of in-voluntary unemployment at local and regional level, in order to highlight its effectiveness or not, with particular reference to the different phases of the economic cycle. Secondly, the red thread that links the development of income support policies and the provision of European structural funds will be deepened. Finally, the debate on the introduction of a European minimum guaranteed income measure, homogeneous for all Member States of the Union, will be analyzed. This work tries to answer whether these measures are really effective in combating poverty and whether they are an adequate response to job transformation, work breakdown, and vulnerability of workers.