Structural Issues

News & Events

News

Economic Survey of Denmark 2009: Human capital: key to higher productivity

06-Nov-2009

Human capital has traditionally been a strong point for the Danish economy, boosting income levels and the economy’s capacity to adjust, but there is room for improvement. Key education policy issues that need attention comprise learning outcomes and completion rates.

Achieving higher performance: Enhancing spending efficiency in health and education in Mexico

03-Nov-2009

Despite progress over the past two decades Mexico’s health and education indicators remain well below the average of the OECD and some of its Latin American emerging market peers. Health insurance coverage is incomplete, especially for low-income families, and access to health services is highly uneven.

Understanding the world trade collapse

29-Oct-2009

The collapse in world trade volumes at the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009 was exceptional by historical standards. This paper shows that world demand (to which trade has become more responsive in recent decades) can explain most of the collapse in world trade, but that tight credit conditions have likely amplified the short-term trade response.

Greece must move quickly on economy

23-Oct-2009

Following the publication in July 2009 of the OECD Economic Survey on Greece, the attached op-ed, signed by Andrew Dean Director of Country Studies at the OECD Economics Department, was published in the Greek newspaper Kathimerini  the week after the elections of October 4, 2009. The article aims at enhancing the OECD policy message about the pressing need for Greece to improve its government  financial situation and efficiency of the public sector during this current legislature.

Towards better schools and more equal opportunities for learning in Italy

16-Oct-2009

Compulsory school education in Italy produces poor results in terms of 15 year olds’ performance on PISA tests, compared with other OECD countries, despite a relatively high level of expenditure.

Iceland: The financial and economic crisis

16-Oct-2009

The global financial and economic crisis has struck Iceland with extreme force. Iceland’s three main banks, accounting for almost all of the banking system, failed in October 2008. They were unable to resist the deterioration in global financial markets following the failure of Lehman Brothers.

Iceland: Challenging times for monetary and fiscal policies

16-Oct-2009

Monetary and fiscal policies face huge challenges: the banking sector has collapsed; the economy is in the midst of a deep recession; the exchange rate has plunged; capital flows have been frozen; inflation is elevated; public debt has risen; source of revenues have disappeared; social needs have increased; and the unemployment insurance fund has been nearly depleted.


Events

Seminar: Growth performance and sustainability in the enhanced engagement countries

on 24-Sep-2009

The Economics Department organised a seminar on 24 September 2009 to discuss the drivers of economic growth in the Enhanced Engagement countries (Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa), as well as the policy challenges these countries will need to face for sustaining growth in the longer term.

The political economy of reform: Lessons from pensions, product markets and labour markets in ten OECD countries

on 05-Oct-2009

Why are some policy reforms implemented while others languish? This seminar has been organised to present and discuss a major new OECD report that aims to answer this important question by looking backwards - at 20 structural reform efforts in 10 OECD countries, during the past two decades. This seminar will take place at OECD Headquarters. 

OECD-IMF Conference on Structural Reform in Europe

on 17-Mar-2008

What reforms are needed to boost jobs and productivity in Europe and how can they be implemented?  Presentations tackling these and other questions discussed at a joint OECD-IMF conference on 17 March 2008 are now available. They include keynote speeches by OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría and IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

Ask the economists: The pensions challenge - financing retirement

from 29-Mar-2007 to 05-Apr-2007

Is there a perfect pension scheme? Do people understand their pension systems?
A live online question and answer session on the issue of pension reform took place on Thursday 5 April.



Top of page

Economic Survey of Denmark 2009


Economic Survey of Ireland 2009