- Tax burden nears peak
Denmark is confirmed as the OECD’s highest-tax country, followed by Sweden, while Mexico and Turkey remain the lowest-taxing countries, the latest 2008 edition of Revenue Statistics says. Denmark’s tax-to-GDP ratio stood at 48.9% in 2007, while Turkey’s was at 23.7% of GDP.
(208 words) - Ministers' roundtable on climate change
Climate change is a pressing challenge, requiring leadership and determined action. At the same time, people are concerned that policies do not put them at an economic disadvantage or unnecessarily undermine their welfare.
Can governments balance these concerns? The OECD’s Environment Policy Committee meets at ministerial level on 28-29 April 2008 under the theme of global competitiveness. Some non-OECD developing countries will also participate, as will stakeholders from business, labour and civil society.(2092 words) - New directions
Both the size and the relative incidence or frequency of the foreign-born population have increased in all OECD countries since 1995. So while there have been large increases in traditional migration countries such as the US and New Zealand, there have also been sharp rises in Denmark, Korea, Ireland, Italy, Norway and Spain, where inward migration has recently taken off.
(237 words) - Denmark: Competitiveness warning
GDP growth has slowed, but the positive output gap remains large, with labour and capacity shortages evident. The inflow of workers from abroad has allowed employment to rise strongly. Nevertheless, wage growth is now gaining momentum, and loss of competitiveness is expected to weigh down on growth in the coming years.
(139 words) - Mobile, yet secure
Anyone who wonders whether a flexible labour market can exist alongside a robust social security system should look no further than Denmark. There, employment protection legislation is less rigid than in some of its neighbours, but unemployment benefits are higher than in more deregulated Anglo-Saxon countries. On the other hand, seriously hunting for work is a precondition of receiving those benefits.
(602 words)
Are you confident that governments can help avoid a global depression?
- Who pays the highest income tax?
- The income taxes people really pay
- Financial crisis and the economy
- Bullying at school: tackling the problem
- Unequal growth, unequal recession?
- From the financial crisis to the economic downturn
- Transfer pricing: Keeping it at arm’s length
- Santé to the French health system
- The brain drain: Old myths, new realities
- Immigration in the European Union: problem or solu...