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This report represents the second outcome of the collaboration between the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to improve the measurement and analysis of productivity developments across APO and OECD member economies. The report discusses the potential impact of COVID-19 on productivity and examines the role of Multifactor Productivity (MFP) as a major driver of economic growth and changes in living standards. It then identifies the most important factors influencing MFP growth and describes the most important challenges affecting the measurement of each of these factors as well as the estimation of their impact on MFP. The report provides key recommendations to improve the reliability and interpretation of the empirical evidence for economic analysis.

COVID-19 has accelerated the digitalisation of working and social interactions. Global lockdowns to contain the pandemic have forced firms and workers to perform a wide range of daily functions through virtual means. This has led to greater uptake and acceptance of remote working, which will likely remain in the post-pandemic scenario. Governments and policy responses at the local and regional level can play a decisive role in supporting workers and firms in this transition. This report proposes a number of policy takeaways to guide short and long-term policy making to better prepare regions for what may be a ‘new normal’. The report relies on real-time subnational data to analyse changes in people’s mobility patterns and the determinants of remote working adoption across types of workers and regions. The report identifies different scenarios of settlement patterns that could emerge post-COVID-19, highlighting how changing patterns of work could impact on regional development and a range of policy areas, including infrastructure, healthcare and the environment.

A major challenge facing the Republic of Buryatia, subject of the Russian Federation, is how to balance the task of protecting Lake Baikal – a unique water object and ecological system included in the UNESCO list of World Natural Heritage Areas – with the need for dynamic and sustainable socio-economic development of the republic.  This requires streamlining and improving water policy jointly with economic, administrative, information and other policy instruments. The recommendations in this report aim to help achieve this objective. They include the introduction of abstraction charges for irrigation water as a  natural resource; enhancement of state support to the water sector; and improvement of economic instruments for managing risks of water-related hazards (such as compulsory insurance and differentiated land tax rates in flood prone areas). A few innovative instruments are also recommended for pilot testing such as establishing limits for discharges of certain hazardous substances in a pilot area (e.g. Selenga river basin) and progressive development of market for tradable quotas for discharges of the “capped” pollutants; and introducing a charge (tax) on toxic agricultural chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, etc.) and synthetic detergents so that to create incentives for the reduction of diffuse water pollution.

Belgium has a high level of productivity. However, growth of productivity has declined quite strongly over the past two decades, and more so than in other advanced economies. This is a worrying development, as fewer productivity gains mean less wage growth and a slowdown in improvements to pensions, health care and well-being. This In-Depth Productivity Review of Belgium assesses in detail the drivers of productivity and recommends a 7-Point Action Plan to reignite productivity growth in Belgium. Reviving productivity growth requires action in many areas cutting across governments and ministerial competences. Measures are needed to instil more dynamism in Belgium’s economy, both among businesses and in the labour market, and to make the public finances more growth-oriented. In addition to recommending detailed policy measures to revive productivity growth, the Review contains three analytical chapters that lay out the evidence base: Chapter 1 on economy-wide and sectoral trends in productivity; Chapter 2 on the role of firms for productivity, with a focus on the dispersion of performance among businesses; and Chapter 3 on the worker dimension of productivity, with a focus on the role of wage bargaining and skills.

This report, undertaken within the framework of the OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth initiative, assesses inclusive growth trends and challenges in the Seoul metropolitan area. The analysis goes beyond income to assess the barriers faced by specific groups - non-regular workers, youth, women, the elderly and migrants - across four dimensions: education, labour market, housing and the urban environment, and infrastructure and public services. The study then takes a closer look at two major policy efforts by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to advance inclusive growth. The study analyses the city’s efforts to ensure that strategies to address climate change also protect and benefit the most vulnerable populations, notably through the Promise of Seoul, which puts citizen welfare and social inclusion at the heart of the city’s efforts to tackle climate change. The study also assesses the efforts of city authorities to level the playing field for small firms and entrepreneurs through its Economic Democratisation Agenda.

China has experienced spectacular economic growth since 1978, averaging 8 to 9% per year. As a result, on average, people’s standard of living is far higher than ever before in China’s history. However, economic disparities have also widened very significantly during this period, raising questions about the appropriateness and sustainability of existing policies. This book includes the papers from a seminar held in Paris on 20-21 October 2003 to explore the causes of China's growing economic disparities. The seminar was organised by the OECD and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China. The papers by Chinese and OECD experts look at the driving forces behind these trends and discuss possible policy responses. The collection presents many comparisons with income inequality trends in OECD countries, including geographic disparities, and looks at ways to improve Chinese data on income distribution.

Income inequality is rising. A quarter of a century ago, the average disposable income of the richest 10% in OECD countries was around seven times higher than that of the poorest 10%; today, it’s around 9½ times higher. Why does this matter? Many fear this widening gap is hurting individuals, societies and even economies. This book explores income inequality across five main headings. It starts by explaining some key terms in the inequality debate. It then examines recent trends and explains why income inequality varies between countries. Next it looks at why income gaps are growing and, in particular, at the rise of the 1%. It then looks at the consequences, including research that suggests widening inequality could hurt economic growth. Finally, it examines policies for addressing inequality and making economies more inclusive.

Drawing on the OECD’s expertise in comparing country experiences and identifying best practices, this book tailors the OECD’s policy advice to the specific and timely priorities of India, focusing on how its government can make reform happen.
 

This publication provides a detailed description of the Sources and Methods which were used in the compilation of the quantitative indicators published in the now discontinued quarterly Indicators of Industrial Activity, which was a unique source of short-term industrial statistics broken down by industrial sectors in OECD member countries. The indicators selected are indices of output, deliveries, new orders, unfilled orders, producer prices and employment. The statistics are classified according to the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC).

This fifteenth edition of Industrial Structure Statistics is in two parts. Volume 1 provides official annual data for detailed industrial manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors, covering such variables as production, value added, employment, investment, exports, imports, wages and salaries, number of establishments and hours worked. Ten years' data are shown. The series are derived from industrial surveys, foreign trade data or national accounts. Data are classified according to both versions of ISIC and are shown in two parts (105 tables in ISIC Revision 2 and 212 tables in ISIC Revision 3). An annex presents qualitative information on national sources and definitions. Volume 2 presents annual energy consumption data in manufacturing sectors. Over the last 25 years, energy consumption has become just as important as energy supply for policy makers. There is a need for energy efficiency indicators and data to monitor developments in energy consumption and energy efficiency trends as they affect the environment. In order to analyse energy use and energy efficiency, it is essential to have disaggregated industry level consumption data. The Information System on Industrial Structures (ISIS) Energy Data Programme provides such data. The energy data presented in Volume 2 were collected during the Pilot phase of the project. Time series of annual energy consumption are provided at the disaggregated manufacturing industry level for most of the OECD countries (and the Slovak Republic) from 1990 to 1997 where available. Please note that Volume 2 is in English only.

Most countries have suffered from inflation within recent memory and countries in Latin America and the former Soviet Union have lived with very high rates of inflation for several years. Under inflation, national accounts at current as well as at constant prices will be seriously distorted unless special adjustment techniques are applied. By explaining these in a systematic fashion, the author brings new insights into the definition and measurement of income as well as the calculation and interpretation of price indices.

Energy, transport, water and telecommunications all are essential to future development and growth. However, infrastructure investment requirements over the coming decades will be massive, running into trillions of dollars. How will the needed investments be financed, given that OECD populations are ageing fast and public finances tightening? How will such factors as urbanisation, climate change and globalisation affect the development of infrastructures in OECD countries? And how will the role of the public sector and private actors evolve over time? These are just some of the questions this OECD report addresses in this long-term assessment of the future of infrastructures in both OECD and non-OECD countries.

The 32nd issue of the International Productivity Monitor is a special issue produced in collaboration with the OECD. All articles published in this issue were selected from papers presented at the First Annual Conference of the OECD Global Forum on Productivity held in Lisbon, Portugal, July 7-8, 2016.
The Forum was established by a large group of OECD member countries in 2015 to provide a platform for the mutual exchange of information and international cooperation between public bodies with a responsibility for promoting productivity-enhancing policies. The primary purpose of the Forum is to shed light on the structural and policy drivers of productivity, especially in the context of the generalized slowdown in productivity growth affecting OECD countries. It helps generate synergies in policy-oriented research; share data, results and insights; and facilitate the diffusion of best policy practices leveraging on both cross-country analysis and country-specific experiences. To this end, the Forum organizes conferences and workshops connecting policy-makers, academics and other stakeholders and proposes and coordinates research programs in areas related to productivity, notably by encouraging collaboration with national experts, to extend and support work done at the OECD.

This report provides an assessment of how governments can generate inclusive economic growth in the short term, while making progress towards climate goals to secure sustainable long-term growth. It describes the development pathways required to meet the Paris Agreement objectives and underlines the value of well-aligned policy packages in mobilising investment and social support for the transition while enhancing growth. The report also sets out the structural, financial and political changes needed to enable the transition.