High unemployment, exclusion and poverty tear at the fabric of society and can unravel economies.

 

The OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs helps economies to formulate policies to boost employment and improve social welfare by reforming labour markets, improving the performance of health systems and designing international migration policies that promote economic growth and development.

 

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What's new

New OECD study: Children of Immigrants in the Labour Markets of EU and OECD countries: An Overview

28-Oct-2009

For the first time, the OECD has collected comprehensive data on the education levels and labour market outcomes of the native-born offspring of immigrants (the so-called “second generation”), compared with the offspring of natives in 16 OECD countries. The data are presented and analysed in a study that was prepared for a joint seminar of the European Commission and the OECD (1 and 2 October, Brussels) and has been published today on the OECD’s website.

Why does the United States spend so much more on health than other countries?

09-Oct-2009

The United States spent 16% of its national income (GDP) on health in 2007, which is by far, the highest share in the OECD and more than seven percentage points higher than the average of 8.9% in OECD countries. This presentation was given by Mark Pearson, Head of OECD Health Division, to the U.S Senate Special Committee on Aging.

Tackling the jobs crisis – OECD Employment and Labour Ministerial meeting, Paris, 28-29 September 2009

from 28-Sep-2009 to 29-Sep-2009

Ministers meeting in Paris, in the context of the mandate by the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, asked the OECD to continue its in-depth review of labour market developments and assess the effectiveness of policy responses to the jobs crisis. Read their Final Communiqué.

Governments must act decisively on jobs, says OECD’s Gurría

16-Sep-2009

Governments must act fast and decisively to prevent the recession turning into a long-term unemployment crisis, according to OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría. “Employment is the bottom line of the current crisis. It is essential that governments focus on helping jobseekers in the months to come,” he said at the launch of the OECD’s Employment Outlook 2009.

OECD Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting: Tackling the Jobs Crisis

from 28-Sep-2009 to 29-Sep-2009

OECD employment and labour ministers will meet on 28-29 September to discuss how labour market and social policies can best help workers and low-income households weather the storm of the current jobs crisis. The Ministerial meeting will be preceded by a Policy Forum on the morning of 28 September. The Forum will provide an opportunity for Ministers to share their views on these important issues with the social partners, researchers, representatives of civil society and journalists.

Spend early on children, says OECD

01-Sep-2009

Governments should invest more money on children in the first six years of their lives to reduce social inequality and help all children, especially the most vulnerable, have happier lives, according to the OECD.

OECD reveals evolving social trends in Asia-Pacific

13-Aug-2009

Society at a Glance - Asia/Pacific Edition 2009 shows that in terms of income inequality in Asia, China stands out with the poorest 10% sharing only 1.6% of national income, while the top 10% on the income scale own almost 35% of the country’s wealth. This special edition of Society at a Glance looks at social trends and policy developments in Asia-Pacific countries.

The current crisis is a “testing time” for the integration of immigrants in Norway

03-Jul-2009

Before the crisis, immigrants were doing rather well on the labour market in Norway compared with other OECD countries. However, immigrants are now disproportionately affected by the ongoing economic downturn.This is especially the case for the many recent arrivals from the new EU member states. There is a risk that this can have a lasting effect on their future labour market outcomes. The current downturn is thus a “testing time” for the integration of immigrants in Norway, the report says.

OECD Health Data 2009 – comparing health statistics across OECD countries

01-Jul-2009

The number of doctors per capita increased 2% per year on average across OECD countries between 1990 and 2007, but in some countries the trend is reversing. These are some of the findings from OECD Health Data 2009, the most comprehensive source of comparable statistics on health and health systems across the 30 OECD countries.

Keep doors open to migrant workers to meet long-term labour needs, says OECD

30-Jun-2009

The economic crisis is likely to cause the first major fall in the number of migrants coming to work in OECD countries since the 1980s, according to a new OECD report. This is already happening, for example, in Ireland, Spain and the UK, which were among the countries first hit by the downturn.

Unemployment in OECD countries to approach 10% in 2010, says OECD

23-Jun-2009

Unemployment in OECD countries will continue to rise well into 2010, with the average unemployment rate approaching 10%, up from 7.8% in April, according to new OECD projections.

High-Level Policy Forum on Migration

During the first-ever OECD High-Level Policy Forum on Migration (Paris, 29-30 June 2009), ministers and senior officials in charge of migration and integration issues discussed the impact of the current economic crisis on international migration, management of labour migration movements and labour market integration of immigrants and their children.

Crisis highlights the need for sweeping pension reforms, says OECD

23-Jun-2009

Governments must continue reforms to ensure that public and private retirement income provision is socially as well as financially sustainable, according to the 2009 edition of the OECD’s biennial Pensions at a Glance.

France should prioritise the employment of disadvantaged young people

20-May-2009

France should do more to ease the transition of unskilled young people into employment. The government should give priority to helping young people the furthest removed from the job market and to strengthening the social protection of the most disadvantaged, according to a new report by the OECD.

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