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The fight against the illegal entry, residence and employment of foreigners is one of the key priorities of the immigration policies of the OECD countries. This irregular migration continues to persist, albeit at different levels for different receiving countries, both in countries that have expressed a political will to manage migration flows more effectively and to fight against the trafficking of labour, and in those that continue to receive a large number of immigrants every year as part of an active policy to recruit permanent migrant workers. In the light of the growing role of trafficking networks and their increasingly active involvement in moving labour across international boundaries, enhanced co-operation at both national and international levels is required to develop policies for preventing and combating the employment of foreigners in an irregular situation. In particular, whatever is done to combat the hiring of illegal immigrants must address the problem of undeclared work in general, and not just the employment of illegal immigrants per se. Better information on the risks and penalties involved in the use of illegal labour should also be directed at both employers and workers in industries where these illegal practices are prevalent, but also at employers that resort to the use of undeclared labour only on an occasional basis and at sending countries. Various specific measures adopted by a number of Member countries, such as the requirement to notify relevant government agencies prior to hiring, fiscal incentives for the employment of legal workers or the streamlining of hiring formalities, might be applied in a larger number of countries. The forging of partnerships between the relevant government agencies and employers’ and employees’ associations in each country should also be encouraged, together with the extension of international co-operation to control and manage immigration flows more effectively.

What are the major developments with respect to trade and labour standards since the OECD’s 1996 study on Trade, Employment and Labour Standards? What is being done to promote these standards? What evidence is there of progress? What are the possible links between core labour standards, trade, foreign direct investment, economic development and employment? International Trade and Core Labour Standards addresses these and related questions. It also provides a current overview of key issues with respect to core labour standards and their relation to trade and employment, aiming to provide a common basis for constructive policy dialogue among the concerned parties in the future.

Despite progressive ratification of international conventions on that issue, 23% of the world’s children aged 10-14 are at work. This important book seeks to answer fundamental questions about the phenomenon’s economic causes, the working conditions children endure, and implications of their labour for the economic outlook of the countries concerned. It moreover examines the effectiveness of various policies implemented to combat child labour and the beneficial effects such policies can have on economic development.

OECD countries are attaching rising importance to lifelong learning and active employment policies as tools of economic growth and social equity. Effective information and guidance systems are essential to support the implementation of these policies, and all citizens need to develop the skills to self-manage their careers. Yet there are large gaps between these policy goals and the capacity of national career guidance systems. Based upon a review conducted in 14 OECD countries, this publication explores how these gaps might be narrowed. It advocates improved national co-ordination arrangements and greater attention to research and data collection to inform policy makers. It also promotes the development of improved and more specialised training programmes for practitioners and the creation of more specialised career guidance organisations for the delivery of services.

This joint publication of the OECD and the European Commission gives policy makers practical tools to tackle weaknesses in many countries' career guidance systems including limited access, particularly for adults; failure to develop career management skills; inappropriate training; and poor service coordination. In simple, non-technical language, this publication addresses a broad range of policy issues that that are central to the effective delivery of career guidance services. These include: how to widen access to career guidance; ways of improving the quality of career information; ensuring that staff qualifications meet policy objectives; and improving strategic leadership.

Despite many examples of good practice, large weaknesses exist in many countries’ national career guidance services, according to extensive research conducted by the OECD, and by the Centre for the Development of Vocational Training and the European Training Foundation on behalf of the European Commission. Access is limited, particularly for adults. In addition, services often focus upon immediate decisions, and fail to develop career management skills. Training for those who provide services is frequently inappropriate, failing to reflect the full range of client needs or to take account of modern, more flexible delivery methods such as ICT. Services are poorly co-ordinated between different ministries, and between governments and other stakeholders. The evidence base is too weak to provide policy makers with useful data on outcomes, costs and benefits. These gaps stand in the way of governments’ attempts to implement lifelong learning, active employability and social equity policies.  This joint publication by the OECD and the European Commission (staff working paper) gives policy makers practical tools to tackle these problems. In simple, non-technical language, the publication addresses a broad range of policy issues that are central to the effective delivery of career guidance services. These include: how to widen access to career guidance; ways of improving the quality of career information; ensuring that staff qualifications meet policy objectives; and improving strategic leadership.   This publication is essential reading for all policy makers, especially those in education and labour, who are responsible for planning, managing and delivering career guidance services.

The Baltic countries have experienced sustained emigration over the past decade, contributing to population decline and a loss of working-age population. The impact of this emigration is felt strongly in the labour market, the general economy and in social developments. How can countries deal with the impact of high levels of emigration? How to attract back emigrants? How best to benefit from the financial, social and human capital developed abroad? The Baltic countries are not alone in addressing these challenges, and this volume brings together the recent experience of Poland and Romania, as well as a wide range of OECD countries, in developing new policies to cope with emigration.

This report examines recent activation policies in the United Kingdom aimed at moving people back into work. It offers insight into how countries can improve the effectiveness of their employment services and also control spending on benefits. The United Kingdom's policies have helped limit the rise in unemployment during the crisis. It has been at the forefront of reform efforts by OECD countries to transform and modernise policies designed to help the unemployed find work, through major new programmes such as Universal Credit and the Work Programme. Although time is needed for these to gain momentum as well as for a full evaluation of their impact to be carried out, the report identifies a number of areas where consideration should be given to additional measures or adjustments to existing ones.

Giving people better opportunities to participate actively in the labour market improves well-being. It also helps countries to cope with rapid population ageing by mobilising more fully each country’s potential labour resources. However, weak labour market attachment of some groups in society reflects a range of barriers to working or moving up the jobs ladder. This report on Slovenia is the second country study published in a series of reports looking into how activation policies can encourage greater labour market participation of all groups in society with a special focus on the most disadvantaged. Labour market and activation policies are well developed in Slovenia. However, the global financial crisis hit Slovenia hard and revealed some structural weaknesses in the system, which have contributed to a high level of long-term unemployment and low employment rates for some groups. This report on Slovenia therefore focuses on activation policies to improve labour market outcomes for four groups: long-term unemployed people; low-skilled workers; older workers; and workers who were made or are at risk of becoming displaced. There is room to improve policies through promoting longer working lives and through enabling the Employment Service and related institutions to help more harder-to-place jobseekers back into employment.

Giving people better opportunities to participate actively in the labour market improves well-being. It also helps countries to cope with rapid population ageing by mobilising more fully each country’s potential labour resources. Weak labour market attachment of some groups in society reflects a range of barriers to working or moving up the jobs ladder. This report on Australia is the third country study published in a series of reports looking into strategies to encourage greater labour market participation of all groups in society with a special focus on the most disadvantaged. Labour market and activation policies are well developed in Australia. However, the gap in employment rates is still considerable for some groups of the population, including women with young children, disadvantaged youth, people with disability, people with mental health problems and the indigenous population. This report discusses the size of the gap and the - often multiple - barriers underlying low labour market participation of these groups, and it provides a non-exhaustive number of good practice policies and measures from other OECD countries which could guide Australia's policy development in the coming years.

Montreal has huge potential to become one of the most dynamic cities across OECD countries, thanks to its talented and creative population. Yet the city has not demonstrated outstanding results in terms of job creation and collective wealth generation in the past few years. This report examines this paradox and suggests new strategies to improve local outcomes in terms of employment, innovation and skills, and to boost inclusive economic growth and innovation across the Quebec metropolis.

Previous OECD and EU work has shown that even native-born children with immigrant parents face persistent disadvantage in the education system, the school-to-work transition, and the labour market. To which degree are these linked with their immigration background, i.e. with the issues faced by their parents? This publication includes cross-country comparative work and provides new insights on the complex issue of the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage for native-born children of immigrants.