“The real objective is to dismantle the public administration and the country’s welfare system,” Massimo Betti, a representative of a public administration trade union, said in a statement. He called on public workers to strike against the measures this month.

Detailing the measures to reporters after a long cabinet meeting, the economic development minister, Corrado Passera, spoke of “deep structural reforms” that would have a “relevant impact” on the Italian economy. Various ministers were involved in writing the measures, he said, to better address the problems that have dragged down the Italian economy for more than a decade.

Italy is in recession and its economy is expected to contract 1.5 percent this year and barely grow in 2013. The unemployment rate has surpassed 10 percent. A shrinking economy and swelling public debt, already at 120 percent of gross domestic product, are making investors increasingly nervous in a country that many analysts see as the next weak link in the euro zone after Greece and Spain.

Italy’s borrowing costs in the bond market this week jumped to their highest level since December.

Vittorio Grilli, the deputy economy minister, said Friday that within a month Italy would sell three companies held by the Economy Ministry to a state-controlled lender, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, and use the proceeds, an estimated 10 billion euros, to help reduce the debt, which topped 1.9 trillion euros this week, according to the Bank of Italy.

Profits from the sale of the companies — Sace, the insurance group; Simest, a finance institution; and Fintecna, a service provider — could be used to buy back sovereign bonds or pay outstanding invoices to private businesses. Other holdings owned by the state and local administrations, including real estate but also shares in public utilities, would be sold through other vehicles managed by Cassa Depositi.