When Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi took power in 2014, he promised ot revive the country's stalled economy by reining in public spending, modernizing the judicial system and reforming the stalled labor market. He's following through on those promises, with some pinpointed wins. Consider the Jobs Act, passed in law on March 1. The country's employers have long been hogtied by an employment system that gave some workers permanent employment contracts, or "jobs for life" — good for workers but bad for international competitiveness. The Act and its leaner labor contract leaves anyone hired from this point forth at the mercy of the economic cycle. All-in, Renzi's reforms are paying off in the form of an improving labor market and higher consumer confidence.