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Improving job quality and reducing gender gaps are essential to tackling growing inequality

Income inequality has reached record highs in most OECD countries and remains at even higher levels in many emerging economies. The richest 10 per cent of the population in the OECD now earn 9.6 times the income of the poorest 10 per cent, up from 7:1 in the 1980s and 9:1 in the 2000s, according to a new OECD report.

Monitoring Progress in reducing the gender gap in labour force participation

In November 2014, the G20 Leaders committed to reduce the gender labour force participation gap by 25% by 2025, as a collective commitment at G20 level. As an input to that decision, the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers issued a Declaration which included this issue and set forth 11 policy areas for potential action. This note proposes options and approaches for tracking the Leaders’ commitment to reduce the gender gap.

Focus on Minimum wages after the crisis: Making them pay (PDF, 12-pages)

Three out of four OECD countries use minimum wages, and supporting low-wage earners is widely seen as important for promoting inclusive growth. This policy brief considers three aspects that are central for a balanced assessment of policy choices: The cost of employing minimum-wage workers, their take-home pay, and the number of workers affected.

More and better jobs for an inclusive recovery

The world is still repairing the damage done to employment prospects and social equality by the crisis. Governments are trying to create not just more jobs, but better jobs. A new OECD framework helps them to define what job quality means and to measure whether their policies are succeeding.

United States Policy Brief: Labor Market and Skills Policies for Strong, Inclusive Growth

Wage stagnation and rising inequality are putting pressure on many American households. Facilitating movement up the career ladder and shoring up wages at the bottom of the pay ladder are policy priorities.

Strengthening Public Employment Services

Public employment services are increasingly important in government efforts to tackle unemployment and boost overall employment outcomes. To strengthen their contributions to this agenda, they require strong capacity and resources to activate job seekers, build connections with employers, and stimulate economic development.

Sweden Policy Brief: Boosting Job Creation by Connecting the Employment and Skills System to Employers

Sweden has a well-educated population and a high level of skills relative to other OECD countries, but student performance has fallen for the past decades. An additional challenge is how to better connect the education system to the labour market to ensure that students are equipped with those skills demanded by employers.

Ageing and Employment Policies: Poland 2015

Promoting longer working lives is vital to improving Poland’s future prosperity

Encouraging more people to work later in life would help Poland meet the challenges of a rapidly ageing population. The percentage of old to younger groups (defined as share of over 65s to people aged 20-64) is projected to nearly triple from 22% in 2012 to 63% in 2050, according to a new OECD report.

Employment and Skills Strategies in Flanders, Belgium