Good Jobs for All in a Changing World of Work
The OECD Jobs Strategy
The digital revolution, globalisation and demographic changes are transforming labour markets at a time when policy makers are also struggling with persistently slow productivity and wage growth and high levels of income inequality. The new OECD Jobs Strategy provides a comprehensive framework and detailed policy analysis and recommendations to help countries promote not only strong job creation but also foster job quality and inclusiveness as central policy priorities, while emphasising the importance of resilience and adaptability for good economic and labour market performance in a rapidly changing world of work. The key message is that flexibility-enhancing policies in product and labour markets are necessary but not sufficient. Policies and institutions that protect workers, foster inclusiveness and allow workers and firms to make the most of ongoing changes are also needed to promote good and sustainable outcomes.
“The OECD’s latest Jobs Strategy is a smart and sensible updating and rethinking of how countries should advance the goal of shared prosperity. I hope policymakers around the world not only read it but take its important advice.”
Jason Furman, Professor Harvard Kennedy School and former Chairman of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers
“Inequality, economic insecurity, economic exclusion, are making the headlines. Anger is high, populist rhetoric is on the rise. What can be done? What strategies to adopt? These are the challenging questions taken up by the new OECD Jobs Strategy report. I hope the report triggers the very serious discussions these issues deserve.”
Olivier Blanchard, Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute, Emeritus Professor at MIT and former Chief Economist of the IMF
Also available in: French
Managing self-employment, new forms of work, and the platform economy
After providing an overview of trends in self-employment, own-account and platform work, this chapter provides a comprehensive policy discussion of how to address the challenges of some of these “new” forms of work – covering labour market regulation, social protection, tax, social dialogue and skills. The objective of policy makers should be to balance innovation, entrepreneurship and flexibility, on the one hand, with job quality and worker rights and protections, on the other. The latter is important not only from a worker perspective, but also to ensure a level playing field between competing firms.
Also available in: French