Browse by: "2005"

Faced with rapid population ageing and unsustainable pension schemes, OECD countries are looking at ways to encourage labour market participation by older people. This book examines the the situation in Australia by looking at barriers to employment to older workers, assessing adequacy of measures to overcome these barriers, and making policy recommendations for improvement. This book is published in English only, but includes a French translation of the Executive Summary and Recommendations.

In Canada, the proportion of persons aged 65 and over to the working-age population will double to 45% by 2050.  Without policy changes, this could lead to higher public expenditures, labour force shortages, and slower economic growth. This report surveys of the main barriers to employment for older workers, assesses of the adequacy and effectiveness of existing measures to overcome these barriers and presents a set of policy recommendations for further action by the public authorities and social partners.  It examines the balances between income support and work incentives, methods for encouraging employers to hire and retain workers, and policies for ensuring the employability of older workers. 

This report, part of a series covering around 21 OECD countries, contains a survey of Denmark's main barriers to employment for older workers, an assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of existing measures to overcome these barriers, and a set of policy recommendations to further action by public authorities and social partners. These recommendations are designed to alleviate some of the pension and health care pressures governments are facing because of ageing populations.

This report, part of a series covering around 20 OECD countries, contains a survey of Germany's main barriers to employment for older workers, an assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of existing measures to overcome these barriers, and a set of policy recommendations to further action by public authorities and social partners. These recommendations are designed to alleviate some of the pension and health care pressures governments are facing because of ageing populations.

Clusters of firms and related organisations in a range of industry specialisations are a striking feature of the economic landscape in all countries. Their growth and survival depends on internal processes of specialisation, co-operation and rivalry, and knowledge flows that underpin the competitiveness of the firms within them. Cluster building is now among the most important economic development activities in OECD countries and beyond. This book looks at the importance and potential of cluster initiatives in Central and Eastern Europe as these countries integrate ever more strongly into the global economy. Existing clusters are mapped, recent policy advances are described and conclusions are drawn on the potential of business clusters to foster economic growth in the wider Central, East and South East European region. 

This book presents the results of the project on Young Adults with Low Levels of Education, conducted jointly by the OECD and the Canadian Policy Research Networks.  It examines the extent to which young men and women with low levels of education are marginalised, the role family background plays in making it possible to complete the recognised minimal level of education, and how immigrants overcome the cultural and language gaps to find employment.

At its meeting in May 2003, the Ministerial Council asked the OECD to analyse the contribution made by the services sector to employment growth, productivity and innovation, and to identify factors, institutions and policies that could enhance the growth prospects of this sector. In response to this request, the OECD launched a cross-Directorate study. This report draws the main policy conclusions from the project. It complements the OECD report on Trade and Structural Adjustment, which provides policy directions on how OECD countries can adjust to international trade. Together, these reports present a concrete policy agenda on how to strengthen growth performance and address globalisation, structural change and the shift to services.

Innovation, skills, entrepreneurship and social cohesion are key drivers of growth, and essential goals of effective economic development strategies. Each has a strong governance component, which requires real partnership between government, business and civil society. In this book, the OECD has brought together top world experts to translate policy lessons into concrete recommendations that will help policy makers and practitioners make the best governance decisions to stimulate growth.

The OECD Employment Outlook 2005 presents OECD's latest review of labour market trends and issues.  In addition to its regular overview of labour markets in OECD countries and its comprehensive statistical annex, this edition also includes articles covering trade adjustment costs in OECD labour markets, regional disparities in labour markets, the role of in-work benefits in increasing employment, and evaluating the impact of labour market programmes and public employment services.

Encouraging entrepreneurship and facilitating the rapid growth of innovative SMEs is an effective means of creating jobs, increasing productivity and alleviating poverty. This publication describes recent trends concerning SMEs and entrepreneurship in OECD economies and beyond. It reports on a range of policy initiatives taken to enhance the vitality and competitiveness of the SME sector—which comprises over 95% of all enterprises and accounts for two thirds of private sector employment. Among the themes covered in this edition are regulatory and administrative burdens; entrepreneurship education and training; SME access to financing, technology, innovation and international markets; women’s entrepreneurship; and local policy issues. This third edition also includes the Istanbul Ministerial Declaration on Fostering the Growth of Innovative and Internationally Competitive SMEs.  

This report presents an overview of performance-related pay policies (PRP) for government employees in selected OECD member countries over the past two decades.  Both the strengths and the weaknesses of PRP policies are assessed.  The report explores the various paths of reform in each country, investigating the reasons why PRP policies are being implemented and how the policies operate concretely.  The outcomes of PRP policies at the individual and team levels are evaluated, and recommendations are made on what should be done or avoided with the implementation of PRP. The report includes a number of case studies.

This publication provides policy guidance in an area that has been given little policy priority until recent years. It brings together key lessons from 17 OECD countries, providing evidence on the strategies in place to improve adults’ participation in learning. It addresses potential barriers to learning as well as the policies to remedy them. Among these are policies for increasing and promoting the benefits of adult learning to make them transparent and easily recognised. Other policy levers include economic incentives and co-financing mechanisms that can raise the efficiency of adult learning provision, while delivering quality learning that is adapted to adults’ needs. Finally, policy making can be improved via co-ordination and coherence in a field that is characterised by a wide variety of stakeholders, including ministries of education and ministries of labour.

Taxing Wages provides unique information on income tax paid and social security contributions levied on an average worker and their employers in OECD countries.  In addition, this annual publication specifies family benefits paid as cash transfers.  Amounts of taxes and benefits are detailed program by program, for eight household types which differ by income level and household composition.  For each country, a detailed description of the tax regime is provided.  This year's issue includes a Special feature entitled "Broadening the Definition of the Average Worker".

International competition, accelerating technological change and shifting societal concerns are important drivers of structural change, both within and across firms, industries and regions. As well as bringing undoubted opportunities, structural adjustment raises acute challenges. This must be acknowledged in making the case for open markets. This brochure aims to identify, for both developed and developing countries, the requirements for successful trade-related structural adjustment via the reallocation of labour and capital to more efficient uses, while limiting adjustment costs for individuals, communities and society as a whole. It draws on a longer study incorporating detailed sectoral case studies...