Speeding up economic catch-up in the BRIICS with better governance and more education

September 17, 2018

by Yvan Guillemette, Macroeconomic Analysis Division, Economics Department Economic research has established that a large part of income disparities between poor and rich countries can be attributed to differences in governance and in the quantity and quality of human capital. In the latest long-run reference scenario published by the OECD, GDP per capita growth is … More Speeding up economic catch-up in the BRIICS with better governance and more education

Statistical Insights: An x-ray view of inflation

September 11, 2018

By Pierre-Alain Pionnier, Francette Koechlin, Anne-Sophie Fraisse and Elena van Eck. Inflation may be present in some parts of an economy but not others. Contributions to annual inflation show how much different product groups contribute to overall inflation in a given year. The measure is a useful tool to understand where inflation is occurring in … More Statistical Insights: An x-ray view of inflation

Structural Policy Indicators Database for Economic Research: SPIDER on the web

August 22, 2018

by Égert Balázs, Peter Gal and Isabelle Wanner, OECD Economics Department Researchers looking for empirical evidence on the relative impact of policy and non-policy drivers of economic growth know how much time and efforts can go into assembling a large database of policy variables and other determinants covering as many countries and years as possible. … More Structural Policy Indicators Database for Economic Research: SPIDER on the web

The UK productivity puzzle through the magnifying glass: A sectoral perspective

August 17, 2018

Rafał Kierzenkowski, Gabriel Machlica and Gabor Fulop, Economics Department. Labour productivity has flatlined since the global financial crisis, which contrasts with its recovery profiles from past recessions over the last decades (Figure 1).  The productivity shortfall, defined as the gap between actual productivity and the level implied by its pre-crisis trend growth rate, reached nearly 20% … More The UK productivity puzzle through the magnifying glass: A sectoral perspective

Improving the Czech health care system

August 14, 2018

by Falilou Fall, Czech Republic desk, OECD Economics Department Health outcomes in the Czech Republic have improved considerably over the last decade. Life expectancy rose by 2.6 years to 78.7 years between 2005 and 2015 towards the OECD average of 80.6 years. This was achieved with relatively low expenditures on health care of about 7% … More Improving the Czech health care system

Rising financial integration amplifies the global impact of financial market  shocks

August 9, 2018

by Nigel Pain and Véronique Salins, OECD Economics Department Stronger cross-border economic and financial integration implies that macroeconomic shocks in one country are increasingly likely to spill over into other economies. This is particularly true in national financial markets, where developments increasingly reflect common underlying factors, as shown in the special chapter of the latest OECD … More Rising financial integration amplifies the global impact of financial market  shocks

The global impact of weaker demand growth in China

August 7, 2018

by Nigel Pain and Elena Rusticelli,  Greater international integration has modified the transmission channels and the impact that external shocks have on domestic economies via increased trade openness and exposure to global financial developments. One important change, discussed in the special chapter of the latest OECD Economic Outlook, is that growth prospects in OECD economies … More The global impact of weaker demand growth in China

A sustainable European currency needs a common fiscal stabilisation instrument

August 3, 2018

Jan Stráský and Guillaume Claveres, OECD Economics Department, Euro Area/EU desk 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. Compared to federal states, fiscal transfers at the euro area and EU level are virtually non-existent. … More A sustainable European currency needs a common fiscal stabilisation instrument

Does public spending foster inclusive growth in your country?

July 31, 2018

by Debbie Bloch, Public Economics Division, Economics Department Governments today need to balance the policy goals of boosting economic growth and improving equity when making budget decisions.  How can public spending choices promote inclusive growth?  What can be learned from previous spending decisions in times of crisis? As it becomes increasingly important for policymakers to … More Does public spending foster inclusive growth in your country?

Delivering on the promise of better outcomes for Canadian women

July 25, 2018

by Andrew Barker, Canada Desk, OECD Economics Department The current Canadian government has declared itself feminist and has taken a number of steps to improve labour market outcomes for women. This includes increased funding for early learning and child care and improving equality of parental leave by introducing five weeks of leave for the second … More Delivering on the promise of better outcomes for Canadian women