Browse by: "2012"

Gender gaps are pervasive in all walks of economic life and imply large losses in terms of foregone productivity and living standards to the individuals concerned and the economy. This new OECD report focuses on how best to close these gender gaps under four broad headings: 1) Gender equality, social norms and public policies; and gender equality in 2) education; 3) employment and 4) entrepreneurship.

Key policy messages are as follows:
-Greater gender equality in educational attainment has a strong positive effect on economic growth;
-Stereotyping needs to be addressed in educational choices at school from a young age. For example, adapt teaching strategies and material to increase engagement of boys in reading and of girls in maths and science; encourage more girls to follow science, engineering and maths courses in higher education and seek employment in these fields;
-Good and affordable childcare is a key factor for better gender equality in employment. But change also has to happen at home as the bulk of housework and caring is left to women in many countries. Policy can support such change, for example, through parental leave policies that explicitly include fathers.
-Support policies for women-owned enterprises need to target all existing firms, not just start-ups and small enterprises. Equal access to finance for male and female entrepreneurs needs to be assured.

The OECD Economic Outlook is the OECD’s twice-yearly analysis of the major economic trends and prospects for the next two years. The Outlook puts forward a consistent set of projections for output, employment, prices, fiscal and current account balances.

Coverage is provided for all OECD member countries as well as for selected non-member countries. This issue includes a general assessment, chapters summarising developments and providing projections for each individual country and an extensive statistical annex.

Why has the OECD, along with other members of the international community, mobilised to fight corruption? The answer is simple: corruption respects no borders, knows no economic distinctions and infects all forms of government. In the long run, no country can afford the social, political or economic costs that corruption entails. Not so long ago, bribing public officials in foreign countries to obtain business deals was, if not an acceptable, at least a tolerated business practice in many OECD countries. Today, corruption has moved to the top of the global political agenda as its dramatic impact on economic development and its corrosive effect on political stability and democratic political institutions has become increasingly obvious.

In the new millennium, the OECD and associated governments, which account for over 75% of trade and investment world-wide, will play by stricter rules. The Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions will outlaw the practice of bribing foreign officials, making competition for international business much more fair and open.

Bribery in commercial transactions is only part of the problem. A whole arsenal of legal instruments to combat corruption have now been developed to improve ethical standards in the public sector, to end tax deductibility for bribes, to curtail money laundering, and to clean up public procurement practices. The private sector and civil society will continue to play a critical role in making these new rules a reality.

This book provides the key elements needed to build and preserve corruption-free institutions, systems, and private enterprises.

What does the OECD have to say about the state of education today? What are the main OECD messages on early childhood education, teacher policies and tertiary education? What about student performance, educational spending and equity in education? OECD work on these important education topics and others have been brought together in a single accessible source updating the first edition of Education Today which came out in March 2009.

Organised into eight chapters, this report examines early childhood education, schooling, transitions beyond initial education, higher education, adult learning, outcomes and returns, equity, and innovation. The chapters are structured around key findings and policy directions emerging from recent OECD educational analyses. Each entry highlights the main message in a concise and accessible way, with a brief explanation and reference to the original OECD source.

L’éducation commence à la maison. Si simples soient-ils, les premiers mots qu’un parent dit à son enfant lui ouvrent les portes du langage et l’initient à un monde d’exploration et de découverte. Lorsque la scolarité officielle débute, de nombreux parents croient que leur rôle éducatif prend fin. En réalité, l’éducation est une responsabilité partagée et selon les dernières conclusions de l’enquête PISA, l’engagement des parents dans l’éducation est essentiel au succès de leur enfant tout au long de sa scolarité et bien au-delà.

Lisons-leur une histoire ! Le facteur parental dans l’éducation rend non seulement compte des conclusions et des analyses de l’enquête PISA, mais offre aussi aux parents, aux enseignants et aux décideurs des suggestions concrètes pour améliorer l’engagement parental, tout en soulignant les formes d’activités les plus fortement associées à l’amélioration des performances en compréhension de l’écrit. Il présente également une kyrielle d’exemples de programmes provenant du monde entier qui favorisent un engagement parental efficace et des partenariats fructueux entre les parents et les écoles. Enfin, il montre surtout aux parents qu’il n’est jamais trop tôt – ni trop tard – pour s’engager dans l’éducation de son enfant.

The insurance industry is a key component of the economy by virtue of the amount of premiums it collects, the scale of its investment and, more fundamentally, the essential social and economic role it plays in covering personal and business risks.

This annual publication provides major official insurance statistics for all OECD countries. The reader will find information on the diverse activities of this industry and on international insurance market trends.

The data, which are standardised as far as possible, are broken down under numerous sub-headings, and a series of indicators makes the characteristics of the national markets more readily comprehensible. This publication is an essential tool for civil servants, professionals and academics working in the insurance field.

This report on the recent Australian experience with activation policies contains valuable lessons for other countries that need to improve the effectiveness of employment services and control benefit expenditure. It provides overview and assessment of labour market policies in Australia including the main institutions, benefit system, training programmes, employment incentives, and disability employment assistance.

Australia is unique among OECD countries in that its mainstream employment services are all delivered by over 100 for-profit and non-profit providers competing in a “quasi-market”, with their operations financed by service fees, employment outcome payments, and a special fund for measures that tackle jobseekers’ barriers to employment. In most other OECD countries, these services are delivered by the Public Employment Service. In the mid 2000s, several benefits previously paid without a job-search requirement were closed or reformed, bringing more people into the effective labour force.

Australia now has one of the highest employment rates in the OECD and this report concludes that its activation system deserves some of the credit for this relatively good performance. The Job Services Australia model, introduced in 2009, reinforced the focus on employment outcomes for highly-disadvantaged groups. This report assesses the latest model for activation and puts forward some recommendations to improve its effectiveness.

Researchers are embarking on increasingly diverse careers where collaboration, networking and interdisciplinarity are becoming more important. Transferable skills (e.g. communication skills and problem-solving abilities) can help researchers operate more effectively in different work environments. While researchers acquire some of these skills in the course of studies and work, attention is turning to the role of formal training.

This study analyses countries' government and institutional level policies on formal training in transferable skills for researchers, from doctoral students through to experienced research managers. It draws on results from a cross-country policy quesionnaire on transferable skills training strategies and programmes, including formal training and workplace-based options, as well as discussions at a policy-oriented workshop with OECD delegates and experts. The study represents a first step to analysing transferable skills for researchers in OECD countries.

The study points to the significant role of individual institutions in setting strategies and providing transferable skills training programmes. While the scope for governments to improve on current arrangements is difficult to assess, the study suggests policy makers could boost policy monitoring and evaluation, facilitate dialogue between academia and industry, encourage workplace-based training options, and leverage collaborative research to support transferable skills training for researchers at all levels.