The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing crisis exacerbated deep-seated social inequalities within our societies. Women, low-income households, children and young people, as well as low-skilled, part-time, temporary and self-employed workers, have all been disproportionally affected.
Today, the war in Ukraine is creating a major humanitarian crisis affecting millions of people and a severe economic shock of uncertain duration and magnitude.
Over five million people have already fled Ukraine and that number is still increasing. This is considerably more than the annual flow of asylum-seekers into European countries at the height of the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015-16.
Looking after the refugees from Ukraine will require spending on social and housing assistance, food provision, medical assistance and childcare and schooling.
The war in Ukraine is creating havoc in the global economy. Rising inflation and slowing growth are producing an economic situation not seen since the 1970s.
This edition of the OECD Economic Outlook looks at the impact of the war on growth, inflation and cost of living.
In OECD countries with available data, growth in cultural and creative employment had been outpacing that of overall employment in the years leading up to 2020.
When COVID hit, the impact on the culture sector was one of the worst. Its turnover in Europe fell by over 30% compared to 2019.
Relief schemes helped cushion the blow: in Q2 of 2020, 36% of workers in private-sector cultural employment were on job retention schemes in selected countries, compared to 19% overall. However, these schemes were not always well-suited to the specificities of the sector.
In general, workers in the culture sector are more likely to be in non-standard employment – i.e. be self-employed, work part-time, or have temporary contracts – as well as hold multiple jobs.
These jobs are typically more precarious because contracts may be less stable, income may fluctuate, and access to social protection may be impeded.
The culture sector continues to require support in its recovery from the pandemic. To help it back on its feet, governments should view cultural spending as a social investment, not a cost, and create a level playing field for creative professionals to access social protection and business support measures.
Lockdowns, school closures, and teleworking forced most people to spend much more time at home.
Housing preferences have changed as a result: many people want more space, notably to accommodate more teleworking, even if this implies living further away.
A recent OECD study found that more and more homes are being bought beyond the 10km radius in large metropolitan areas, while purchases are slowing down in city centres.
The data also illustrate that prices have disproportionally increased in suburbs while price growth was contained or even negative in city centres.
Decent inner city housing remains overwhelming unaffordable for low-income households, who are now facing price increases in the peripheries. This could force low-income households even further out from the city and potentially from their employment.
Young adults who have lived in out-of-home care at some point during their childhood often struggle to build stable lives. This report identifies the key challenges that care leavers face and provides a range of good practice examples in OECD countries.
Education systems can build on school-led micro-innovations during the pandemic to develop more equitable learning and boost science proficiency with the goal of societal equity.
About 60% of older people in OECD countries who receive care at home only receive informal care (care from family and friends). While informal carers help contain public costs, those costs are borne elsewhere, largely by women.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a particular impact on young people, and governments need to adopt an integrated public governance approach to deliver a fair, inclusive and resilient recovery for young people.
Research shows that children taught by different teachers often experience very different educational outcomes. This report points out the aspects of different educational systems that influence how teachers are allocated to schools.
In response to the pandemic, nearly all OECD countries took steps to protect jobs, but as the situation has evolved, many countries have adjusted, scaled down or even phased out these job retention schemes.
In 2021, a majority of OECD-based youth organisations felt that their government had not incorporated the views of young people when taking emergency measures and decisions to mitigate the crisis.
The crisis unleashed by COVID-19 has put a spotlight on equity challenges that existed well before the pandemic. We must prepare for an inclusive and transformative recovery together, one that puts people’s well-being at the centre.
Explore key topics and broaden your knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
From childcare and elderly support to housing and food security, this collection focuses on people and livelihoods. It pulls together OECD analysis and data spanning a multitude of issues related to social protection and inequalities, many of which are being challenged in the context of the global coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis.