On July 20th, 2023, Liliana Cuccu defended her doctoral thesis titled "Struggling Workers in a Changing World: Three Essays on Labour Economics and Political Economy” supervised by Dr. Vicente Royuela and Dr. Nicola Pontarollo.

The doctoral committee was composed of Dra. Begoña Cueto Iglesias (Universidad de Oviedo), Dra. Inés Murillo Huertas (Universidad de Extremadura) and Dra. Barbara Ermini (Università Politecnica delle Marche) who decided to grade the PhD thesis with an “Excellent” mark.

This doctoral thesis offers empirical evidence of how technological advancements can adversely affect workers. Particular emphasis is placed on identifying the groups that are most vulnerable to the negative effects of disruptive innovations. This is because recognizing the “losers" and understanding the various channels through which they are impacted is essential for designing effective policies. The dissertation also highlights that ignoring workers' grievances can have significant implications for society at large, as economic dissatisfaction and the perception of institutional neglect among certain social groups can fuel the rise of populist and far-right movements.