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Colombia needs a comprehensive tax reform to boost investment and diversify the economy, OECD says

The Colombian economy has done remarkably well over the last decade, consistently ranking among the fastest-growing countries in Latin America, but a comprehensive tax reform that promotes investment and diversifies the economy is now needed to put the country on a path toward stronger, sustainable and inclusive growth, according to the latest OECD Economic Survey of Colombia.




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Ambitious reforms can create a growth path that is both strong and inclusive, OECD says

Determined and systemic action to implement a comprehensive reform agenda across a wide range of policy areas offers governments the best chance to boost weak demand, restore healthy economic growth, create jobs and ensure that the gains are broadly shared across society, according to the OECD’s latest Going for Growth report.




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Youth employment and regional development must rank as top priorities in Tunisia to secure stability and prosperity

Tunisia has made great strides since 2011 towards greater inclusivity and fairness in its political system, based on the rule of law, transparency and good governance.




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Colombia: Supporting the development of local innovation systems – Policy review

The project provided recommendations to the city of Medellin and Antioquia to support the development of the local economy and includes a focus on how the innovative environment can be strengthened to support inclusion, entrepreneurship, SME, and local developmentto and how to better coordinate and integrate its policies with the national level.




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Effects of economic policies on microeconomic stability

This paper shows that household-level economic instability is only very loosely related to macroeconomic volatility. However, the analysis also uncovers that moving to highly competitive policies generally reduces micro-level instability.




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Reforming the pension system to increase coverage and equity in Colombia

Colombia is one of the most unequal countries in Latin America. The high level of informality in the labour market and many characteristics of the pension system leave many elderly in poverty. Only formal-sector employees earning more than the relatively high minimum wage are covered.




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Enhancing the financing of the real economy and financial stability in the United Kingdom

The banking sector in the United Kingdom (UK) was deeply affected by the crisis. Bank credit has collapsed reflecting both weak demand and tighter supply. New prudential requirements have improved the resilience of the banking sector and a number of measures were taken to support credit supply.




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Non-standard contracts, flexibility and employment adjustment: empirical evidence from Russian establishment data

This paper examines the use of two forms of non-standard work contracts in Russia with data from an enterprise survey for the years 2009 to 2011. Non-standard work contracts are less costly and more flexible for employers. Internal adjustment in form of wage cuts or unpaid leave is not covered by the Labour Code and earlier practices to impose such measures are less tolerated.




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The costs of flexibility-enhancing structural reforms: a literature review

This survey highlights the key results of the empirical literature concerning the costs of flexibility-enhancing reforms in product and labour markets.




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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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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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Labour mobility in the European Union: a need for more recognition of foreign qualifications

Labour market mobility in the European Union is increasing, but it remains too low to provide sufficient adjustment in the face of diverging labour market developments.




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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.




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Effects of flexibility-enhancing reforms on employment transitions

Do flexibility-enhancing reforms imply more employment instability? Using individual-level data from harmonised household surveys for 26 advanced countries, this paper analyses the effects of product and labour market reforms on transitions in and out of employment.




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Enhancing Economic Flexibility: What Is in It for Workers?

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.




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The Walking Dead? Zombie Firms and Productivity Performance in OECD Countries

This paper explores the extent to which “zombie” firms – defined as old firms that have persistent problems meeting their interest payments – are stifling labour productivity performance.




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The Walking Dead? Zombie Firms and Productivity Performance in OECD Countries

This paper explores the extent to which “zombie” firms – defined as old firms that have persistent problems meeting their interest payments – are stifling labour productivity performance.




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Modest pick-up in global growth but risks and vulnerabilities could derail recovery

Global economic growth is expected to pick up modestly next year to around 3.6 % from a projected 3.3% in 2017 but risks of rising protectionism, financial vulnerabilities, potential volatility from divergent interest rate paths and disconnects between market valuations and real activity hang over the outlook, according to the OECD.




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Reforming Brazil’s old-age pension system to ensure its sustainability

Pensions have been successful in reducing old-age poverty well below the population-wide average, and below the OECD average. At present, all pension recipients – and this includes around 90% of those aged 65 and above – receive at least the minimum wage, which is more than 5 times as much as the poverty line of BRL 170 (equivalent to USD 55).




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Enhancing financial stability amid slowing growth in China

Growth in China has been slowing gradually, but GDP per capita remains on course to almost double between 2010 and 2020. As a result, the Chinese economy will remain the major driver of global growth for the foreseeable future.




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Colombia: Raise productivity and make growth more inclusive

The Colombian economy has been more resilient than other Latin American countries to the recent fall in commodities prices, and remains among the strongest in the region.




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Insolvency Regimes, Zombie Firms and Capital Reallocation

This paper explores cross-country differences in the design of insolvency regimes and their potential links with two inter-related sources of labour productivity weakness: the survival of "zombie" firms (firms that would typically exit in a competitive market) and capital misallocation.




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Enhancing employability and skills to meet labour market needs in Italy

The various deficiencies of the labour market and the educational system have resulted in high unemployment, low labour force participation, low skills levels and high skill mismatch.




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Israel disability pension note July 2017

Israel disability pension note July 2017




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Ensuring fiscal sustainability in Japan in the context of a shrinking and ageing population

With gross government debt of 219% of GDP in 2016, Japan’s fiscal situation is in uncharted territory and puts the economy at risk.




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Towards more inclusive growth in Colombia

Growth has become more inclusive in recent years in Colombia. Strong growth and targeted social policies have reduced absolute poverty.




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Reigniting growth through productivity-enhancing reforms in Colombia

Over the past decade, sound macroeconomic policies and an improved business environment have helped generate relatively strong GDP growth.




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Reducing inequality to raise incomes and expand well-being for all Colombians

The peace agreement will boost economic growth, but to share it fairly Colombia must also achieve better educational outcomes and bring more people into the more productive formal economy.




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Zombie firms and weak productivity

Building on a large volume of cross-country research, the OECD project on “Exit Policies and Productivity Growth” presents new evidence on policies affecting the exit and restructuring of weak firm and the channels through which they shape aggregate productivity growth.




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Breaking the shackles: zombie firms, weak banks and depressed restructuring in Europe

This paper explores the connection between “zombie” firms (firms that would typically exit in a competitive market) and bank health and the consequences for aggregate productivity in 11 European countries.




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Zombie firms and weak productivity: what role for policy?

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.




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Raising and mobilising skills to boost productivity and inclusiveness in Belgium

A highly educated and skilled workforce has been an important driver of productivity performance and prosperity in Belgium.




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Public spending in education and student’s performance in Colombia

This paper investigates if higher public spending in education and better teacher qualifications are related to student’s performance, using data from Saber 11, a national standardized test conducted by Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación.




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How do you improve the durability of a Celtic Tiger?

The Irish economy is booming and is expected to continue expanding at healthy rates over the next few years.




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Basic income or a single tapering rule? Incentives, inclusiveness and affordability compared for the case of Finland

This paper compares Finland’s benefit system with two benefit reform scenarios: a uniform benefit for all ("basic income") and a universal tapering rule ("universal credit").




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Costa Rica: Restore fiscal sustainability and make growth more inclusive

Costa Rica has made impressive economic and social progress in recent years, with robust economic growth facilitating near-universal access to education, health care and pensions.




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The Greek economy is recovering. Improving debt sustainability, tackling poverty and boosting investment are vital to sustaining the positive momentum.

Greece’s recovery from deep economic depression is finally gaining traction, according to the OECD. Economic growth has started to pick up led by a rise in exports while labour market reforms have improved competitiveness and are helping to create jobs.




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Costa Rica: Restoring fiscal sustainability and setting the basis for a more growth-friendly and inclusive fiscal policy

Consecutive years of primary deficits have led to mounting public debt of almost 50% of GDP, one of the fastest increases in Latin America over the last decade.




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Stabilisation policies to strengthen Euro area resilience

The euro area sovereign debt crisis highlighted important weaknesses in the euro area design. Fiscal policy did not build sufficient buffers before the crisis, which forced some countries to tighten fiscal policy too rapidly during the downturn to restore market confidence in sovereign borrowing.




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Limits to government debt sustainability in middle-income countries

This paper investigates the effect of structural characteristics on debt limits of middle income countries.




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Digital technology diffusion: a matter of capabilities, incentives or both?

This paper uses a novel data set of digital technology usage covering 25 industries in 25 European countries over the 2010-16 period to explore the drivers of digital adoption across two broad sets of digital technologies by firms, cloud computing and back or front office integration.




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A sustainable European currency needs a common fiscal stabilisation instrument

The euro area sovereign debt crisis has exposed important flaws in the design of the Economic and Monetary Union, especially when it comes to dealing with macroeconomic shocks.




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Stabilising the Euro Area through unemployment benefits re-insurance scheme

The paper examines the possible design and macroeconomic stabilisation properties of a euro area unemployment benefits re-insurance scheme using annual historical data from 2000 to 2016.




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Gambia Imports

Imports in Gambia increased to 2915896 GMD Thousands in March from 2899635 GMD Thousands in February of 2020. Imports in Gambia averaged 826699 GMD Thousands from 1994 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 6688215 GMD Thousands in September of 2018 and a record low of 18264 GMD Thousands in March of 1996. Gambia main imports are foodstuffs, fuel and machinery. Gambia main trading partners are Ivory Coast (15 percent of total imports) and China (15 percent). Others include: United States, Germany, India and the United Kingdom. Since 2009, Gambia foreign trade records are adjusted for coverage. This page provides - Gambia Imports - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.




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Agua en América Latina y el Caribe: Mejor gobernabilidad puede mejorar el acceso, dice la OCDE

En países latinoamericanos, la población crece a un ritmo mayor que el promedio mundial, lo cual intensifica el uso de la tierra y aumenta la urbanización. La región también es propensa a los impactos negativos del cambio climático y de los desastres naturales.




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Business brief: Innovation and urban mobility in Brazil

“What is the city but the people?” asked Shakespeare in Coriolanus. All city planning focuses on people and the quality of life. The big cities in Brazil took shape from the 1950s, when the country’s population amounted to approximately 52 million inhabitants, only 36.2% of whom lived in cities.




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Innovation, Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability in Brazil

Sustaining high agricultural growth is critical to Brazil's overall development given the importance of agriculture and agro-industries to the national economy and the resource potential that has yet to be exploited.




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Um elevador social quebrado? Como promover a mobilidade social: Como o Brasil compara?

Um elevador social quebrado? Como promover a mobilidade social: Como o Brasil compara?




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What cities for the next 3 billion?: OECD symposium

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.