by Mauro Pisu and Tim Bulman, Italy Desk, OECD Economics Department In Curno, 50 km north east of Milan, is the headquarters of Brembo, the Italian company supplying brakes for Teslas and Ferraris as well as for mass market cars and motorcycles. Founded in 1961, its 255 employees generate over USD 3 billion of revenue … More Reviving Italy’s Growth
by Jon Pareliussen, Sweden Desk, OECD Economics Department Swedish schools entered the 1990s from a position of strength, as one of the top performers in early international school surveys, including the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). School governance was centralised, and implemented locally by regional education boards. A suite of sweeping reforms in … More Sweden’s schools: lessons from history to build a better future
By Gabriel Machlica and Claude Giorno, Israel Desk, Economics Department Inequality and relative poverty in Israel remain high, particularly among Arab-Israelis and Haredim (Ultra-Orthodox). Israel’s social policy follows a “welfare-to-work” approach to tackle poverty in order to avoid measures that may harm work incentives among the Haredi, who value the time dedicated to religious studies, … More The key to breaking cycle of poverty in Israel lies in education
By Gabor Fulop, Analyst, & Rafal Kierzenkowski, Senior Economist The Netherlands Desk, Country Studies, OECD Economics Department The ongoing refugee crisis in Europe has particularly affected the Netherlands. Asylum requests surged in 2015 to nearly 60 000 (Panel A), more than three times the yearly average of 2010-14. This is a significant challenge for the … More The refugee crisis: a challenge but also an opportunity for improving policies to integrate immigrants into the Dutch labour market
