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12/04/2011 - Mexicans work longer days than anyone else in OECD countries, devoting 10 hours to paid and unpaid work, such as cleaning or cooking at home. Belgians work the least, at 7 hours, compared with an OECD average of 8 hours a day.
These are among the insights in the latest edition of Society at a Glance, which gives an overview of social trends and policy developments in OECD countries. Using indicators taken from OECD databases and other sources, it shows how societies are changing over time and compared with other countries.
A special chapter in the report looks at unpaid work, such as cooking, cleaning, caring, and shopping, in 26 OECD countries, as well as China, India and South Africa.
Most unpaid work is housework. Mexicans do the most, at more than 3 hours per day, and Koreans the least, at 1 hour and 19 minutes. Much of this time is spent cooking. Americans spend the least time cooking each day (30 minutes) and Turks the most in the OECD (74 minutes). Most people spend around 50 minutes a day cooking.
Shopping also makes up a big part of unpaid work. Most people in OECD countries spend 23 minutes a day shopping, with the French spending the most (32 minutes) and the Koreans the least (13 minutes).
The report also attempts to estimate how much unpaid work is worth as a percentage of GDP for the 25 OECD countries for which data are available. It finds that the value of unpaid work is considerable, equivalent to about one-third of GDP in OECD countries, ranging from a low of 19% in Korea to a high of 53% in Portugal.
Other social indicators documented in the report include fertility rates, education and health spending, inequality, migration, tolerance and trust.
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Social Affairs ministers will discuss the social impact of the global economic crisis at the OECD on 2 and 3 May. A Policy Forum, open to the media, will take place in the morning of Monday 2 May from 09.00 to discuss the challenge of high and increasing income inequality in many OECD countries.
This event will be hosted by OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría and chaired by Ursula von der Leyen, Germany’s Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. The agenda and more information about the Forum is available at www.oecd.org/social/ministerial.
After the Policy Forum, Social Affairs ministers from OECD countries will meet to discuss the social impact of the economic crisis and what governments can do to help children and families, promote gender equality and improve pension systems.
A press conference with Ms Von Der Leyen and Mr Gurría will take place at 14.30 on Tuesday 3 May 2011. To register, journalists should contact Spencer Wilson of the OECD’s Media division (tel. + 33 1 45 24 81 18).
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Country notes drawing upon the data in Society at a Glance and key findings on Unpaid work are available below:
Journalists can obtain a copy of this publication via the Password-protected website for accredited journalists or from the OECD's Media Relations Division (tel. + 33 1 45 24 97 00).
For further information, journalists are invited to contact Simon Chapple (tel. + 33 1 45 24 85 45) in the OECD's Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Directorate.
To obtain a copy of this publication and download the data, please visit: www.oecd.org/els/social/indicators/SAG
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