The European Union faces serious challenges today, with public finances in poor shape, weak long-term growth prospects and an unemployment level close to 10%. In this context, the regional policy can play a crucial role to unleash the growth potential of our economies, says OECD Secretary-General.

Well-functioning judicial systems play a crucial role in determining economic performance – notably by guaranteeing the security of property rights and the enforcement of contracts – but not all countries’ judiciaries operate at the same level of efficiency.

This paper quantifies the importance of different determinants of trade at the industry level using a sample of 54 OECD and non-OECD economies. The empirical methodology extends the approach of previous empirical studies to explicitly quantify the impact that trading partners’ factor endowments and policies have on bilateral trade, and to analyse the effect of tariffs on the volume and composition of trade.

As in other countries, in Mexico income, education, health, job status and other individual characteristics are significantly associated with life satisfaction. These findings suggest that the higher average level of life satisfaction in Mexico is probably related to unobserved country characteristics.

Financial crises do more than impose huge costs: they have bigger and more insidious effects. We face big challenges in maintaining the supply of global public goods as the world integrates. But these challenges will not be managed successfully if we do not first overcome the legacy of the crisis.

This paper reviews different explanations for apparent underinvestment in energy efficiency that have been put forward in the literature. It also provides new evidence regarding barriers to investment in energy efficiency based on the OECD Survey on Household Environmental Behaviour and Attitudes.

World trade growth was rapid in the two decades prior to the global financial crisis but has halved subsequently.

Reforms that boost growth by enhancing economic flexibility often meet strong opposition related to concerns that they may imply adverse consequences for categories of workers. This study investigates how making product or labour market regulation more flexible changes workers’ risks of moving out of employment and jobless people’s chances of becoming employed.

Major global crises such as the 2008-09 episode are mercifully rare, but severe recessions have been quite frequent among OECD countries over the past four decades.

Weak productivity growth is a major problem afflicting most societies. It curbs growth in incomes and endangers the sustainability of social security systems. An important, but often ignored, source of the productivity slowdown is the increasing prevalence of weakly productive firms and, among them, “zombie firms” – in essence firms that would typically exit or be forced to restructure in a competitive market.

Global trade imbalances narrowed in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. They have remained at a lower level but are still of concern to policy makers because of the risks they pose to individual economies, as well as globally.

This study explores the impact of export shocks on firms and re-aggregates results to derive distributional effects on sectors and regions.

Using cross-country time series panel regressions for the last two decades, this paper seeks to identify the main policy and institutional factors that explain the share of selfemployment across European countries.

OECD countries are intensifying their fiscal consolidation efforts, introducing additional measures and extending the time horizon to implement them. Most have announced fiscal consolidation of more than 3% of GDP over the period 2009-15, according to the OECD’s Restoring Public Finances 2012.

Three world experts discuss the future of cities in the current context of rapid urbanisation. This meeting was held in Paris on 4 December 2012.

This report summarises experience of OECD and non-OECD countries with reforming inspections, attempts to present some of the most interesting and successful experiences suggesting that some good practices may be valid beyond the countries where they were initially pioneered.

This paper provides an overview of fiscal consolidation efforts at the central and sub-central government level, both during the current and past consolidation episodes.

Financial crises do more than impose huge costs: they have bigger and more insidious effects. We face big challenges in maintaining the supply of global public goods as the world integrates. But these challenges will not be managed successfully if we do not first overcome the legacy of the crisis.

Paris, 8 March 2016: Organised on International Women's Day, the OECD hosted a conference to consider policy approaches to closing leadership gender gaps in the public and corporate sectors.

This paper provides a framework for analysing ownership engagement by institutional investors. It argues that the general term “institutional investor” in itself doesn’t say very much about the quality or degree of ownership engagement. It is therefore an evasive “shorthand” for policy discussions about ownership engagement.

Paris, 8 March 2016: Organised on International Women's Day, the OECD hosted a conference to consider policy approaches to closing leadership gender gaps in the public and corporate sectors.

21/05/2016 - It is seven years since the global crisis and despite easy monetary policy, financial regulatory reform, and G20 resolutions favouring structural measures, the world economy is not making a lot of progress. Adrian Blundell-Wignall gives a preview of what’s in the 2016 edition of the OECD Business and Finance Outlook.

On the occasion of the release of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance on Responsible Business Conduct, the OECD’s Tyler Gillard looks at how governments can encourage international standards of responsible business conduct in business activities and supply chains.

Artificial intelligence is still in its early days and policymakers are still finding their feet. To what extent can they, and should they, encourage this powerful new technology, and how can they address any risks? The OECD Principles on AI can help. They promote artificial intelligence (AI) that is innovative and trustworthy and that respects human rights and democratic values.

Simon Kuper on how top players’ diets have changed — and why old habits die hard

Forecasts will be most thorough assessment yet of how lockdown is affecting the economy

Your question for our expert — and readers’ advice

Join FT business education correspondent Jonathan Moules for a live discussion on Monday May 4 at 12pm and 5pm UK time

Proprietary trading is hard to identify and did not cause the crisis

Martin Sandbu discusses the prospects that leaders attending this year's G20 summit in Osaka will be able to patch up their differences on trade and climate with Chris Giles and Leslie Hook.

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Gideon Rachman discusses the crisis in Britain's relations with the US following the unscheduled departure of Kim Darroch as ambassador to Washington, with Ed Luce and Geoff Dyer.

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In this special episode from Hong Kong, Gideon Rachman talks to Regina Ip, a member of the territory's Executive Council and Legislative Council, and to student activist Joshua Wong about the continuing protests and what happens next.

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Remote working has unearthed unexpected challenges — and surprises

It is time to rethink whether such assessment really prepares us for life and work

A book on the economics of gardening puts today’s spending into perspective

Our gardening columnist offers guidance for making a practical, ethical and beautiful choice

Robin Lane Fox on the best choices to sow now

German constitutional court blows open questions about ECB independence and the supremacy of EU law

The IMO energy transition, with its clear date and standards, provides valuable lessons

Despite good musicianship from both principals, their songs make little impression

In fashion, timing is everything. When coronavirus turned the world upside down, these new brands had to pivot quickly to survive

Our predicament is that wealth has become the only apparent source of safety

How life, death and disease have changed over the past 180 years

Postmodernism defined itself against the stifling clarity and seriousness Modernism. It put style before drab functionality. It embraced pop culture and garish colour. But it got a bad rep. “PoMo” was called vacuous and kitsch, and in the 1980s it became associated with corporate culture and consumerism. Now this controversial cultural movement is the subject of a major exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert museum, "Postmodernism: Style and Subversion 1970–1990". Neville Hawcock talks to Glenn Adamson, co-curator of the show, and to FT columnists Edwin Heathcote and Peter Aspden. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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Forget “London 2012”, this summer it’s all about the 1990s – with the Stone Roses reunion gigs, Suede headlining the Hop Farm festival, and Blur playing the Olympics closing ceremony gig. As 40-something fans relive the glory days of “Cool Britannia”, FT pop critic Ludovic Hunter-Tilney looks back at the renaissance of British rock 20 years ago, and asks – was it all it was it cracked up to be? And what is its legacy? He is joined in the studio by Richard Clayton and David Cheal. Featuring music from the Stone Roses, Oasis, Blur and Pulp. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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The Cultural Olympiad spans four years and encompasses more than 500 events – culminating with the current London 2012 Festival. This unprecedented artistic marathon has cost a reported £97m – but is it worth it? Jan Dalley puts this question to Sarah Weir of the Legacy List, a post-Olympic charity for arts, culture, education and skills; William Sieghart, founder of the National Poetry Day and of Winning Words, a national project to incorporate poetry in the games; and Peter Aspden, FT arts writer. Produced by Nicholas Spencer  

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Elgar, the Beatles and Dizzee Rascal have all had a starring role in London’s Olympic Games, with some astonishing scenes that told the world the story of Britain’s contribution to popular culture. But can British music continue to punch above its weight? In this special edition of the Arts Podcast, FT pop critic Ludovic Hunter-Tilney is joined in the studio by Laura Battle, an FT classical music critic, Peter Aspden, the newspaper's culture columnist, and Paul Morely, radio and TV presenter and music critic. With music by The Beatles, Thomas Ades, Roy Harper and Amy Winehouse. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown and John Sunyer  

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Galleries display only a fraction of the works in their collections. Art historian Bendor Grosvenor says it’s time they faced down their conservation departments and liberated their hidden masterpieces  

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David Cheal tells the tale of the Burt Bacharach penned classic 'I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself', from the 1964 soul of Dusty Springfield to its 2001 raw-rock treatment by The White Stripes. Credits: Philips, Stiff, Elephant  

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A Motown classic and Beatles favourite that went on to become perhaps the first postmodern pop song: David Cheal on the many lives of 'Money (That's What I Want)'. Credits: Motown Records Inc., EMI, Simitar.  

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