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Policy challenges for agriculture and rural areas in Norway

Norwegian policy gives high priority to supporting rural communities, with support for agriculture receiving particular attention. It is broadly successful in terms of maintaining rural communities, and urban-rural gaps in a range of well-being indicators are comparatively narrow.




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Improving the pension system and the welfare of retirees in Israel

Israel is a young country with still dynamic population growth, but it is already beginning to face the consequences of population ageing.




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Chile: better skills for inclusive growth

Improving education and skills is the linchpin to reduce income inequality and boost productivity growth. This paper argues that to improve, and make better use of, the skills of the labour force, Chile could gain a lot from a comprehensive and consistent Skills Strategy along three pillars: developing, activating and using skills effectively.




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OECD study finds Britons will be paying a heavy “Brexit tax” for many years if UK leaves EU

A UK exit from the EU would immediately hit confidence and raise uncertainty which would result in GDP being 3% lower by 2020, which equates to £ 2200 per household. The OECD states that such costs are already piling up in a new study released today.




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Growing together: towards a more inclusive Ireland

The Irish economy is growing strongly, but there is a risk many households will be left behind despite robust growth. High joblessness especially among the low-educated and skill-biased wage differentials have induced high market income inequality, among the highest in the OECD.




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Recovery underway in Denmark, but reforms needed to maintain high living standards and ensure sustainability of social welfare system

Denmark’s economic prospects are improving, but further reforms are needed to maintain the country’s high living standards and ensure the well-being of all citizens, according to a new report from the OECD.




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Korea needs new reforms to boost productivity, employment and growth

Korea needs to boost productivity, increase employment and stoke economic activity as part of efforts to reverse current trends toward slower growth and low inflation, according to a new report from the OECD.




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Norway... time to prune farm subsidies?

Norway puts a high priority on maintaining high levels of well-being in rural communities, many of which are in remote and challenging environments. While it is broadly successful in achieving this goal, it comes at a high price, most notably in the form of substantial support to farmers. Is there a better way?




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Reforming benefits in Lithuania to generate a double dividend: Making work pay while better protecting the jobless

Inequality measures in Lithuania (like in Estonia and Latvia) are high. To an important extent this is related to the high risk of poverty for non-working individuals and to the low rewards to work. Therefore, increasing the quality of jobs, ensuring that the most vulnerable have access to employment and providing adequate income support for those that have lost their job are key for making labour markets and the economy more inclusive.




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Structural reforms to boost inclusive growth in Greece

This paper takes stock of the main structural reforms that Greece has undertaken since 2010, those currently proposed and that are in the process of implementation, and quantifies the medium and long‑term effects on output.




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How to boost export performance in Greece

Boosting investment in infrastructure and logistics, further liberalising the network industries, improving investment in human and knowledge-based capital to allow upgrading in the global value chains will be essential to enhance export performance.




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Making growth more inclusive in Costa Rica

In the past 30 years Costa Rica has grown steadily and social indicators have improved markedly. Well-being indicators are comparable or even above the OECD average in several dimensions, such as health, environment or life-satisfaction. This paper reviews the social progress that Costa Rica has achieved and identifies reducing inequality and poverty as the main challenges.




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New OECD indicators trace productivity growth slowdown pre- and post- crisis

Productivity growth – the central driver of rising economic output and material living standards – has been slowing in many advanced and emerging economies in the wake of the crisis, according to new data released today in the OECD Compendium of Productivity Indicators.




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The twin challenges of promoting productivity and inclusive growth

Advanced economies remain in the doldrums. People’s incomes are rising at a very low pace, especially in the lower half of the distribution. Two global trends–the slowdown in productivity and the rise in inequality–reflect the state of policy, and point to the challenges policymakers face to change prospects for their citizens and the global economy.




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New ‘nexus’ approach needed to tackle productivity and inequality challenges, says OECD report

Declining productivity growth and rising inequality are two of the biggest obstacles to improved economic performance, according to a new OECD report.




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Global economy stuck in low-growth trap: Policymakers need to act to keep promises, OECD says in latest Economic Outlook

The global economy is stuck in a low-growth trap that will require more coordinated and comprehensive use of fiscal, monetary and structural policies to move to a higher growth path and ensure that promises are kept to both young and old, according to the OECD’s latest Global Economic Outlook.




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Regulations in services sectors and their impact on downstream industries: the OECD 2013 REGIMPACT indicator

This document presents the new 2013 set of the OECD Regulatory Impact (REGIMPACT) indicator. It measures the impact of regulatory barriers to competition in non-manufacturing sectors on all industries, through intermediate inputs.




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Czech Republic needs new reforms to boost productivity and accelerate convergence with the most advanced countries

The Czech Republic needs new reforms to boost productivity, improve economic growth and accelerate convergence toward the levels of income and well-being seen in the most advanced European countries, according to a new OECD report.




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European economy is slowly recovering but legacies of the crisis remain and new challenges are emerging

The European economy is gradually recovering but further policy action will be required to address unresolved legacies of the global economic crisis that are weighing on growth and major new concerns that have emerged, according to two new OECD reports.




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The contribution of weak investment to the productivity slowdown

Concerns around weak productivity growth are everywhere these days. As the latest OECD Economic Outlook notes, since the mid-2000s, productivity growth has been markedly lower than at any other time since the 1950s.




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Canada is adjusting to the end of the commodities boom, but new policies are needed to boost productivity and reduce financial stability risks

The Canadian economy is adjusting to the fall in commodity prices, but additional policies are needed to boost productivity, reduce financial stability risks and make future growth stronger, greener and more inclusive, according to a new OECD report.




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Structural reforms for more inclusive growth in Greece

The Greek economy is turning around lately, but it remains in a deep depression. GDP has fallen by more than a quarter between 2007 and 2015, unemployment remains extremely high at 25 percent and anchored poverty – which measures poverty relative to its pre-crisis income level – has nearly tripled between 2007 and 2014, reaching a third of the population.




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US economy growing steadily but key reforms needed

The US economy is making one of the strongest comebacks in the OECD, but there are risks on the horizon, according to the OECD’s latest Economic Survey of the United States.




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Improving opportunities for women in the United States

Improving opportunities for women in the United States




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The UK’s heart is wobbling but there are good reasons to Remain in the Union

Membership of the European Union contributes to the economic prosperity of the United Kingdom.




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Norway, higher education could deliver more for less

Norway’s predominately public and tuition-free tertiary education system has encouraged participation and generated high attainment rates. However, few Norwegian universities rank high in international comparisons on the basis of research related and other indicators.




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Scaling new heights: achievements and future challenges for productivity convergence in Lithuania

GDP per capita in Lithuania rose from one third to two thirds of the OECD average level between 1995 and 2014, despite internal and external crises. Productivity catch-up was critical to this process, although the level of labour productivity also remains around one-third below the OECD average.




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Growing together: making Lithuania’s convergence process more inclusive

Although Lithuania’s growth has been impressive, inequality is high, the risk of poverty is one of the highest of European countries, and life expectancy is comparatively low and strongly dependent on socio-economic background.




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Insolvency regimes and productivity growth: a framework for analysis

This paper develops an analytical framework to identify the policies relevant for firm exit and the channels through which they shape aggregate productivity growth.




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The effects of reform scenarios for unemployment benefits and social assistance on financial incentives to work and poverty in Lithuania

In 2015 the Lithuanian government launched an ambitious Social Model reform agenda aimed at balancing flexibility of the labour market and security provided through the system of social protection.




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Turkey: Challenging times call for pushing ahead with economic reform

Turkey’s economy has proven remarkably resilient in the face of a challenging global economic context. However, further action can be taken to raise productivity and advance the shift to a more balanced, sustainable and stronger growth path that will boost living standards for the entire population, according to the latest OECD Economic Survey of Turkey.




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Tackling the three main challenges in Costa Rica: fiscal reform, reverting the slowdown in productivity and reducing inequality

Costa Rica’s economic, social and environmental achievements are impressive. It has succeeded in combining rising living standards, virtually universal health care, pension and primary education systems with sustainable use of natural resources.




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Governments should use tax systems to drive inclusive growth agenda

Governments should use tax policy to drive forward economic agendas that seek to boost growth while sharing the benefits more evenly within society, according to a new OECD report.




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Scaling new heights: achievements and future challenges for productivity convergence in Lithuania

GDP per capita in Lithuania rose from one third to two thirds of the OECD average level between 1995 and 2014, despite internal and external crises. Productivity catch-up was critical to this process, although the level of labour productivity also remains around one-third below the OECD average.




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Growing together: making Lithuania’s convergence process more inclusive

Although Lithuania’s growth has been impressive, inequality is high, the risk of poverty is one of the highest of European countries, and life expectancy is comparatively low and strongly dependent on socio-economic background.




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Insolvency regimes and productivity growth: a framework for analysis

This paper develops an analytical framework to identify the policies relevant for firm exit and the channels through which they shape aggregate productivity growth.




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The effects of reform scenarios for unemployment benefits and social assistance on financial incentives to work and poverty in Lithuania

In 2015 the Lithuanian government launched an ambitious Social Model reform agenda aimed at balancing flexibility of the labour market and security provided through the system of social protection.




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Strengthening competition in network sectors and the internal market in Canada

Canada’s productivity performance has lagged that of many other OECD countries, despite some improvement in recent years.




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OECD to help put innovation at heart of G20 global growth strategy

Leaders of the G20 countries meeting at their Summit in Hangzhou, China, have called on the OECD to help develop an agenda to build a stronger, more innovative and inclusive world economy.




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Enhancing Greek exports is key to jobs and growth

With weak domestic demand and a relatively low export share in the economy there is much potential to raise exports. Despite a recent pick-up Greek export performance deteriorated in the last decade particularly in the service sector and by much more than in the Euro area on average




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OECD warns weak trade and financial distortions damage global growth prospects

Weak trade growth and financial distortions are exacerbating slow global economic growth, according to the OECD’s latest Interim Economic Outlook.




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Cardiac arrest or dizzy spell: Why is world trade so weak, what can policy do about it?

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




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Raising well-being in Germany’s ageing society

Population ageing is setting in earlier in Germany than in most other OECD economies and will be marked.




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Labour market reforms in Korea to promote inclusive growth

Labour market reforms are essential to promote social cohesion by removing obstacles to employment, particularly for women, youth and older persons.




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Advance warning indicators of past severe GDP per capita recessions in Turkey

The global financial crisis and its high economic and social costs have revived academic and policy interest in “early warning indicators” of crises. This paper aims to investigate the performance of vulnerability indicators as advance warning indicators of past severe GDP per capita recessions in Turkey.




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OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría presents new OECD studies with economic and social recommendations to Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski

Economic and social reforms undertaken over the past two decades have driven Peruvian efforts to achieve sustainable economic growth and important reductions in poverty. Against a context of weak global growth, Peru will need to diversify its economy, boost skills, reinforce productivity across the labour force and unleash the potential of all regions in order to spur more inclusive national growth.




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Global Forum on Environment and Economic Growth

This Global Forum, held on 24-25 October 2016, aimed to shed light on the links between environment and economic growth, and the toolkits to quantify these links. It provided a platform to explore how a well-managed natural environment can contribute to economic growth and how an effective and efficient regulatory system can best be designed?




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Funding priority spending will become increasingly challenging in Indonesia

As described in the 2016 OECD Economic Survey of Indonesia, economic growth is expected to pick up over the course of 2016 and into 2017. Despite persistently weak external conditions, confidence is returning, with inflation moderating, a stable rupiah and government investment in infrastructure gathering pace.




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Balancing inclusiveness, work incentives and sustainability in Denmark

The generous Danish welfare state relies on a high degree of labour force participation both for financing and in order to ensure social cohesion.




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Balancing inclusiveness, work incentives and sustainability in Denmark

The generous Danish welfare state relies on a high degree of labour force participation both for financing and in order to ensure social cohesion.