How does the richest group of households in a country compare to the poorest? How can we expose the growing importance of the digital economy, often hidden in macroeconomic statistics? These questions are at the centre of upcoming updates to the System of National Accounts (SNA), which aim to provide policymakers with the information required to better understand the distribution of income, consumption and saving, and the scale and impact of the digital transformation. In this second...

Most people know Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the go to number to evaluate an economy's performance. It is often referenced in the news, sometimes directly, other times implied in discussions of economic recession, recovery or boom. But other indicators, further removed from the limelight, are also vital for economic analysis: for example, Household Disposable Income (HDI) helps us to monitor changes in money that households have available to either spend or save for the future. In this...

Guest: Frida Grundhal, Project Co-ordinator, Yalla Trappan. In this edition of OECD Podcasts, Katrina Baker and Shayne MacLachlan are Joined by Frida Grundahl from Yalla Trappen; a groundbreaking social enterprise dedicated to creating job opportunities and fostering financial independence for Sweden’s foreign-born women. Statistically, foreign-born women are said to be one of the most distant from the labour market and Yalla Trappen is working to empower these women by giving them an...

In this edition of OECD Podcasts, Shayne MacLachlan from the OECD Centre of Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities is joined by Jesse Shapins from Urban Partners. Together they discuss how Urban Partners’ involvement in projects on local, municipal and national levels can help to achieve climate action and social sustainability. In their conversation, they cover the concept of green and thriving neighbourhoods and cities, emphasising the fact that “a great city is not just green...

Young entrepreneurs have a huge role to play as slow productivity growth, climate change, demographic change and the digital transition come together in a perfect storm for many economies. The new OECD-EU “Missing Entrepreneurs” report finds that if youth (18-29 years old) participated in early-stage entrepreneurship at the same rate as “core age” men (30-49 years old), there would be an additional 3.6 million “missing youth entrepreneurs” in OECD countries. This accounts for about 11% of the...

According to the UN Refugee Agency, more than 100 million people were forcibly displaced in 2022. With Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, Europe has seen the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War with more than 6 million people fleeing Ukraine. This is a big challenge for refugee protection and reception systems. Clearly something public services cannot stem on their own. This is where the social and solidarity economy steps in and steps up to both support governments and...

Digitalisation in procurement comes with a variety of opportunities, but also challenges. Can digital resources such as artificial intelligence, e-procurement and data systems improve the ways governments obtain services and goods? This podcast is the third and final episode of a series in collaboration with the MAPS Initiative, Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems. Edwin Lau, OECD, Head of Division of Infrastructure and Public Procurement and Hunt La Cascia, Senior Public Sector...

As urban heat waves become more frequent and severe, meet the leaders on the frontlines of responding to extreme heat in cities. The Chief Heat Officers for Santiago, Chile, and Athens, Greece, discuss their innovative strategies to spread awareness of the dangers of heat, keep vulnerable residents safe in scorching temperatures, and create more green spaces to cool their cities down. Guests: Cristina Huidobro, Chief Heat Officer for Santiago, Chile, and Elissavet Bargianni, Chief Heat...

Extreme heat is creating major challenges for cities. The urban “heat island” effect traps cities in a bubble of scorching temperatures, which endangers lives and puts pressure on emergency services and infrastructure. Often the poorest neighbourhoods bear the worst consequences of rising heat waves. Andrew Lombardi discusses how heat exacerbates inequalities in cities and breaks down what cities can do to save lives now and enhance heat resilience through better policies and practices....

In 2015, the United Nations released the Sustainable Development Goals to help create a more sustainable and equitable world. The 17 goals included procurement systems, calling governments to procure in a more sustainable manner. But how does this actually work? How can governments include sustainability in their procurement systems? And can sustainable public procurement help mitigate the climate crisis? Steven Schooner, Professor of Government Procurement Law at George Washington...

Over the past few decades, as trade and investment barriers have lessened, and transport and communication costs have declined, multinational enterprises or MNEs have become an increasingly important fixture in the global economy. As these entities begin to represent a larger share of global economic activity, the importance of monitoring them and understanding their behaviour has never been greater. However, MNEs cross borders by definition, making them notably difficult to keep track of at...

When governments need to buy anything from office supplies to infrastructure, the process is more complex than your ordinary shopping trip. How do we know that governments are using good judgement when purchasing items or awarding contracts? Who advises governments on these processes to ensure that they are transparent, efficient, and cost effective? That's where MAPS, the methodology for assessing procurement systems, steps in. Diana Viljoen, from Global Affairs Canada and member of the MAPS...

Retaining talent of all ages has become one of the most important issues facing employers today. How are people 55 to 64 faring in today’s labour market and how can we build an effective, multi-generational workforce? The OECD’s Shruti Singh and AARP’s Lona Choi-Allum explore what needs to be done to ensure that everyone's talents and skills are put to best use. Guests: Lona Choi-Allum, Senior Research Advisor, AARP Shruti Singh, Senior Economist, OECD Host: Kate...

Bertrand Piccard est un « savanturier » psychiatre et explorateur. Il a fait le premier tour du monde en ballon en 1999, puis en avion solaire avec l'avion Solar Impulse en 2015-2016. En tant que Président de la Fondation Solar Impulse, il est aussi un « explorateur de solutions » face au plus grand défi de notre temps : le changement climatique. Après avoir survolé la terre, il travaille à sa sauvegarde et démontre que celle-ci est non seulement possible, mais aussi rentable. Il évoque ici...

Bertrand Piccard est un « savanturier » psychiatre et explorateur. Il a fait le premier tour du monde en ballon en 1999, puis en avion solaire avec l'avion Solar Impulse en 2015-2016. En tant que Président de la Fondation Solar Impulse, il est aussi un « explorateur de solutions » face au plus grand défi de notre temps : le changement climatique. Après avoir survolé la terre, il travaille à sa sauvegarde et démontre que celle-ci est non seulement possible, mais aussi rentable. Il évoque ici...

Is the current state of the modern man something to be concerned about? Does childhood well-being vary greatly between boys and girls? This podcast explores those questions and more with Richard Reeves, author of "Of Men and Boys Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why It Matters and What to Do About It" and Olivier Thevenon, OECD economist and the Observatory on Well-Being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity. Guests: Richard Reeves, Author of "Of Men and Boys Why the Modern...

L'Enfance est une période critique au cours de laquelle les individus développent un grand nombre de compétences nécessaires pour s'épanouir plus tard dans la vie. La promotion du bien-être des enfants n'est pas seulement une fin importante en soi, mais elle est également essentielle afin de préserver la prospérité et la soutenabilité de l'économie pour les générations futures. Cependant, le bien-être des enfants est très récent dans l'agenda politique. Olivier Thevenon, qui dirige l'Unité...

Is the current state of the modern man something to be concerned about? Does childhood well-being vary greatly between boys and girls? This podcast explores those questions and more with Richard Reeves, author of Of Men and Boys Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why It Matters and What to Do About It and Olivier Thevenon, OECD economist Olivier Thevenon, OECD economist at the Centre on Well-Being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity . Speakers: Richard Reeves, Olivier...

L'enfance est une période critique au cours de laquelle les individus développent un grand nombre de compétences nécessaires pour s'épanouir plus tard dans la vie. La promotion du bien-être des enfants n'est pas seulement une fin importante en soi, mais elle est également essentielle afin de préserver la prospérité et la soutenabilité de l'économie pour les générations futures. Cependant, le bien-être des enfants est très récent dans l'agenda politique.Olivier Thevenon, qui dirige l'Unité du...

The social economy can help boost prospects for women… and men. One of the big problems in tackling gender equality is breaking down gender stereotypes that drive women into what have often been called “pink collar jobs”. These are jobs like childcare, education, personal and household services, plus social work. Nitya Nangalia from SEWA Bharat and Natalie Laechelt from the OECD unpack the role of the social economy in the quest to move beyond pink collar jobs. Guests: Nitya Nangalia, SEWA...

The social economy can help boost prospects for women… and men. One of the big problems in tackling gender equality is breaking down gender stereotypes that drive women into what have often been called “pink collar jobs”. These are jobs like childcare, education, personal and household services, plus social work. Nitya Nangalia from SEWA Bharat and Natalie Laechelt from the OECD unpack the role of the social economy in the quest to move beyond pink collar jobs. Speakers: Nitya Nangalia,...

As technology continues to advance, we're more connected than ever. But with more benefits also come more risks. How can we ensure that we are protected from digital threats? In December 2022, the OECD released its Digital Security Recommendations to help keep individuals, businesses and governments secure online. Audrey Plonk, head of Digital Economy Policy division for the OECD's Science, Technology and Innovation Directorate, explains the Digital Security Recommendations and what they hope...

As technology continues to advance, we're more connected than ever. But with more benefits also come more risks. How can we ensure that we are protected from digital threats? In December 2022, the OECD released its Digital Security Recommendations to help keep individuals, businesses and governments secure online. Audrey Plonk, head of Digital Economy Policy division for the OECD's Science, Technology and Innovation Directorate, explains the Digital Security Recommendations and what they hope...

Cyberbullying is a growing problem worldwide and has serious consequences for students. It can take place on social media, gaming platforms and mobile phones, and often involves scaring, angering or shaming an individual or group. The experience can be incredibly traumatic for young people, who sometimes feel that escaping from it is impossible. It can also have academic consequences, with OECD data suggesting that students who are regularly bullied score lower on reading tests. As digital...