Browse by: "2009"

This report examines why some policy reforms get implemented and others languish by examining 20 structural reform efforts in 10 OECD countries over the past two decades. The case studies cover a wide variety of reform attempts in three key areas: pensions, labour- and product-market regulation. Key factors in the political, economic and reform-specific arenas are identified as helping or hindering reform, and these findings are cross-checked using a relatively simple set of Spearman rank correlations. The report’s two-pronged analytical approach – quantitative and qualitative – results in unique insights for policy makers designing, adopting and implementing structural policy reforms.

This book explores the social, economic and environmental forces that may combine to attract migrants of various types and backgrounds to OECD countries, as well as those that may persuade migrants to leave their countries or to stay at home. By analysing different pull and push factors and constructing five different scenarios of migration in the future, this volume casts light on major determinants of global migration flows, which OECD countries will look particularly attractive for migrants, where the pressures to migrate be especially strong and what kind of migration-related issues will policy makers likely be facing as 2030 approaches.

The biological sciences are adding value to a host of products and services, producing what some have labelled the “bioeconomy” and offering the potential to make major socio-economic contributions in OECD countries.  Using quantitative analyses of data on development pipelines and R&D expenditures from private and public databases, this book estimates biotechnological developments to 2015. Moving to a broader institutional view, it also looks at the roles of R&D funding, human resources, intellectual property, and regulation in the bioeconomy, as well as at possible developments that could influence emerging business models to create scenarios to 2030. These scenarios are included to stimulate reflection on the interplay between policy choices and technological advances in shaping the bioeconomy. Finally, the book explores policy options to support the social, environmental and economic benefits of a bioeconomy.

Productivity measurement and analysis are the main topics addressed in this book, which brings together contributions presented and discussed in two international workshops organized by the Statistics Directorate and the Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry (DSTI) of the OECD. The first workshop was organised jointly by the OECD with Fundaccion BBVA and the Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas and held in Madrid in October 2005, and the second one was organized jointly by the OECD and the Swiss Federal Statistical Office and the State Secretary for Economic Affairs of Switzerland and held in Bern in October 2006. The two workshops brought together representatives of statistical offices, central banks and other branches of government in OECD countries that are engaged in the analysis and the measurement of productivity developments at aggregate and industry levels.

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) surveys collected data on students’ performances in reading, mathematics and science, as well as contextual information on students’ background, home characteristics and school factors which could influence performance. This publication includes detailed information on how to analyse the PISA data, enabling researchers to both reproduce the initial results and to undertake further analyses. In addition to the inclusion of the necessary techniques, the manual also includes a detailed account of the PISA 2006 database and worked examples providing full syntax in SPSS®.

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) surveys collected data on students’ performance in reading, mathematics and science, as well as contextual information on students’ background, home characteristics and school factors which could influence performance. This publication includes detailed information on how to analyse the PISA data, enabling researchers to both reproduce the initial results and to undertake further analyses. In addition to the inclusion of the necessary techniques, the manual also includes a detailed account of the PISA 2006 database. It also includes worked examples providing full syntax in SAS®.

This 2009 edition of the OECD Patent Statistics Manual takes stock of the recent developments in the field. It provides guiding principles for the use of patent data in the context of S&T measurement, and recommendations for the compilation and interpretation of patent indicators in this context. It aims to show what patent statistics can and cannot be used for, and how to count patents in order to maximise information on S&T activities while minimising statistical noise and biases. Finally, it describes how patent data can be used in the analysis of a wide array of topics related to technical change and patenting activity including industry-science linkages, patenting strategies by companies, internationalisation of research, and indicators on the value of patents.

The 2009 edition of OECD's periodic review of the UK economy. This edition focuses on policies to overcome the crisis and includes chapters on restoring sound public finances, an economic health check of the National Health Service, financial stability, and structural policies to promote sustainable long-term growth.

This 2009 edition of OECD's periodic survey of Slovenia's economy  includes chapters discussing restoring a sustainable growth path within the Monetary Union, restoring public finances on a sustainable path and improving efficiency, improving the functioning of the labour market, and enhancing the business environment to foster productivity growth.

This 2009 edition of OECD's periodic review of the Slovak Republic's economy finds it facing a significant slowdown. Income levels are continuing to converge with those in the rest of the EU, but additional structural reform is required to make the economy more flexible. Special chapters on fiscal policy and housing policy are included along with suggestions for improving the pension system.

OECD's periodic survey of the Russian economy. This 2009 edition includes chapters on stabilisation and renewed growth, growth-friendly fiscal policy, more flexible exchange rate policy and more effective monetary policy, making the banking sector more efficient and resilient, and improving regulation in goods and services markets.

The global crisis is hitting New Zealand at a time when difficult domestic adjustment is underway. Its economy is among the most indebted in the OECD. Falling asset prices and a slump in credit demand mean that a process of debt reduction has started. Nevertheless persistent, large current-account deficits and a high external debt render the economy especially vulnerable.  In this report, OECD projects that the economy will remain in recession through 2009, and recover only hesitantly in 2010.  The report includes coverage of the macroeconomic situation, structural policies, and a detailed examination of health care reform.

Despite improved macroeconomic fundamentals, this 2009 edition of OECD's periodic survey of the Mexican economy finds that Mexico is being hard hit by the financial crisis and world economic downturn.  In addition to a chapter examining how to overcome the crisis, this edition also includes chapters on managing the oil economy, achieving higher performance in health and education, and structural reforms to boost long term growth.

This 2009 edition of OECD's periodic review of Japan's economy includes chapters on overcoming the global crisis, improving the efficiency of the banking sector, the fiscal response to the crisis and fiscal sustainability, health care reform, and the climate change policy framework.

OECD's periodic review of Italy's economy. This edition finds Italy facing a sharp recession. After a general review of the impact of the crisis and potential for stimulus, it takes a closer look at the financial system, regulatory reform, and schools and opportunities for learning.

OECD's 2009 review of Ireland's economy.  This edition's special feature covers the labour market in Ireland.