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The OECD annual report on jobs and employment in OECD countries reviews recent trends, policy developments, and prospects. The 2021 edition of the OECD Employment Outlook [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 145.163] focusses on the labour market implications of the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 crisis. Country notes are available for Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

In some countries, employers used job retention programmes to cut hours while allowing workers to keep their pay and jobs; there, it is likely that the full impact of the pandemic is yet to be felt. In others, there have been unprecedented increases in unemployment, but many workers will return to their jobs (or to new ones) as economies re-open and activity picks up.

At the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, Japan managed to avoid so-called lockdown restrictions and thus total hours worked dropped rather modestly by 9 per cent over the year to the second quarter of 2020, compared with the OECD average of 15.3 per cent. Workers in low-paying occupations have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. During the last quarter of 2020, total hours worked by all persons in employment were only 2 per cent below the pre-crisis level in Japan. However, the decline in hours worked by workers in low-paying occupations was more than double (4.3 per cent), whereas those by workers in high-paying occupations actually increased by 0.6 per cent. What is more, this increase in hours worked was driven by job creation.

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Education at a Glance is the OECD’s annual round-up of data and analysis on education, providing a rich, comparable and up-to-date array of indicators on education systems in the OECD’s 30 member countries and in a number of partner economies. The 2008 edition of ‘Education at a glance: OECD indicators’ looks at who participates in education, what is spent on it and how education systems operate and the results achieved. The latter includes indicators on a wide range of outcomes, from comparisons of students’ performance in key subject areas to the impact of education on earnings and on adults’ chances of employment. New material in this edition includes: entry rates in tertiary education by field of study; data on the skills of 15-year-olds in science; an analysis of the socio-economic background of 15-year-olds and the role of their parents; data on the extent to which the socioeconomic status of parents affects students’ participation in higher education; data on the returns to education; data on the governance of higher education institutions; an analysis of efficiency in the use of resources; data on evaluations and assessments within education systems; and a comparison of the levels of decision-making in education across countries.

Excerpt from published abstract.

‘Highlights from Education at a Glance 2008’ is indexed at TD/TNC 95.605. Show less

The State of Victoria is a knowledge-intensive centre for Australia: educational services are Victoria's strongest export worth more than AUD five billion, surpassing tourism and automotive sectors. Victoria is a magnet for immigration and the international student enrolment represents over 30 per cent of the total for Australia. The higher education system in Australia is moving to a more competitive phase with the decision that the government funding will follow students wherever they choose to enroll. How can Victoria continue to increase participation in higher education and widen access to lower socio-economic groups? How can its higher education institutions help transform Victoria into an innovative state with knowledge-intensive industries and jobs? This publication explores a range of helpful policy measures and institutional reforms to mobilise higher education for regional development. It is part of the series of the OECD reviews of Higher Education in Regional and City Development. These reviews help mobilise higher education institutions for economic, social and cultural development of cities and regions. They analyse how the higher education system impacts upon regional and local development and bring together universities, other higher education institutions and public and private agencies to identify strategic goals and to work towards them.

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This publication contains the papers prepared for the seminar on 'International mobility of highly skilled workers: from statistical analysis to the formulation of policies', held in Paris, 11-12 June 2001. The seminar was jointly organised by the OECD Directorates for Science, Technology and Industry (DSTI) and Education, Employment, Labour and Social Affairs (DEELSA). In a global context where shortages of highly skilled and specialised workers have influenced national migration policies, the seminar focused on the provision and comparability of data on international mobility of highly skilled workers in OECD countries and some non-OECD nations, the impact on their economies, and the development of migration policies that are beneficial for both sending and receiving countries. The publication is organised into three sections: the first presents the definitions and measures of international stock and flows of highly skilled workers and human resources in science and technology (HRST); the second draws on case studies of OECD Member countries and non-Member countries to investigate trends and economic implications of international mobility of highly skilled workers; and the third section discusses how policy measures in the area of migration and science and technology can influence international mobility of highly skilled workers. Part one, 'Defining and measuring international flows of human resources in science and technology', contains the papers: Human resources in science and technology: measurement issues and international mobility / Laudeline Auriol and Jerry Sexton; Student mobility between and towards OECD countries: a comparative analysis / Karine Tremblay. Part two, 'Trends and economic impact in OECD countries', contains the papers: International mobility of highly skilled workers: from statistical analysis to policy formulation / Dominique Guellec and Mario Cervantes; The measurement of international migration to Canada / Michael Bordt; International mobility of human resources in science and technology in Japan: available data, quality of sources, concepts and proposals for further study / Shin-ichi Kobayashi; A brain drain among young PhDs: mirage or reality? / Daniel Martinelli; Why do firms recruit internationally?: results from the IZA International Employer Survey 2000 / Rainer Winkelmann; Return migration of highly-skilled Irish into Ireland and their impact on GNP and earning inequality / Alan Barrett. Part three, 'Trends and economic impact in non-OECD countries', contains the papers: Mass migration of highly skilled workers: Israel in the 1990s / Ari Paltiel; International migration of scientists and engineers in Russia / Leonid Gokhberg and Elena Nekipelova; International mobility of China's resources in science and technology and its impact / Zhang Guochu and Li Wenjun; Rethinking high-skilled international migration: research and policy issues for India's information economy / V. Gayathri; Migration of skilled and highly skilled workers [in] South Africa: a case study / Jean-Baptiste Meyer. Part four, 'Policy issues', contains the papers: The mobility of human resources in science and technology in Sweden / Anne-Marie Gaillard; High-skill migration and Chinese Taipei's industrial development / Yu-Ling Luo and Wei-Jen Wang; Policies for admitting highly skilled workers into the United States / Philip Martin; Migration policies designed to facilitate the recruitment of skilled workers in Australia / Graeme Hugo; The current 'green card' initiative for foreign IT specialists in Germany / Heinz Werner; International mobility of highly skilled workers: the UK perspective / Nicolas Rollason.

Selected papers are indexed from TD/TNC 69.320 to TD/TNC 69.326. Show less

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have experienced increasing pressures to provide accountability data and consumer information on the quality of teaching and learning. But existing ratings and rankings of HEIs tend to neglect information on student learning outcomes. Instead, they focus on inputs, activities and research outputs, such as resources used, classes taught, and articles published. Such indicators provide no indication of the degree to which HEIs actually develop the knowledge and skills of their students. In most countries, hardly any comparable information is available on the educational quality of different programs and institutions. In some countries, approaches to assess higher education learning outcomes have been developed, but little cross-country information is available on the characteristics of the instruments used. This paper provides an overview of experience gained in this domain across OECD and partner countries. Based on illustrative evidence collected for 18 assessment instruments, it examines conceptual, organisational and methodological aspects of existing assessments. It proposes a typology of higher education learning outcomes and reviews the ways in which these have been assessed across countries. Examples are drawn from Australia, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States.

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Choosing a field of study means choosing a career, a professional identity, a sector of society, and to a certain extent also a way of life and a set of values. Yet there is no longer a straightforward relationship between the subject studied and future employment, as today's students have a variety of ways to acquire new skills and multiple paths to specialise in different domains. People change jobs and professions more frequently and job mobility is becoming an increasingly important feature of contemporary labour markets.

This brief paper examines what tertiary students are choosing to study and makes the following points: (1) the social sciences are the most popular field for non-vocational tertiary education programs; one in three new students choose a program in social sciences, business and law; (2) gender equality has been virtually achieved in many fields of study, especially in social sciences and services but significant gender differences persist in computing and engineering (male-dominated) and in health and welfare and education (female-dominated); and (3) almost one in four international students in OECD countries follow programs in the field of business and administration (23 per cent), and the proportion of international students from fields oriented to the public function such as education (three per cent) or health and welfare (nine per cent) is lower on average.

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This paper looks at a number of efficiency and equity aspects related to skill acquisition of young people and older adults. The results of this analysis suggest that such human capital investment is associated with valuable labour market gains for people, such as higher wages and enhanced employability, and that these gains exceed the original investment costs, mainly foregone earnings and tuition fees, by a significant margin. The analysis also indicates that the net benefits are strongly influenced by policy-related factors, such as study length, tuition subsidies and student support. Overall, the estimates suggest that there are strong incentives for the average student to continue their education past the compulsory schooling age, and highlight the benefits of such investment in education for society in general. However, the net gains fall with age, mainly as a result of a shorter period in which to take advantage of the benefits of education. In conclusion, the author points out that students in higher education tend to come from more affluent socio-economic backgrounds and that they benefit from large public subsidies. Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, on the other hand, are less likely to participate in tertiary education and thus derive the benefit from public subsidies. Show less

The conference on 'Industrial competitiveness in the knowledge-based economy - the new role of government', held in Stockholm on 19-21 February, 1997, provided a policy forum to discuss the implications of the trends towards increased globalisation and the knowledge-based economy for the role of governments with regard to industrial competitiveness. This report brings together most of the contributions including the general introduction by the Swedish Minister of Industry, the opening address of the Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD, and a summary of the conference debate. The contributions are as follows: Welcome and opening remarks / Anders Sundstrom; Opening address / Joanna Shelton; Industrial competitiveness in the knowledge-based economy: the new role of government / Keith Drake. Part I focuses on the changing nature of the firm and comprises the following papers: Technology and the changing boundaries of firms and governments / John H. Dunning; Human-resource aspects of the changing nature of the firm: issues, evidence and public policy implications / Gordon Betcherman; Foreign direct investment, country characteristics and lessons for policy / James R. Markusen; Firms, executives and models of action: dominant views vs. empirical business research / Lars Engwall; The changing nature of the firm: what's new?: velocity / Douglas C. Worth. Part II asks if we are moving towards a borderless economy and includes the following papers: Notes on a borderless world / Everett M. Ehrlich; Europe's industrial policy: promoting openness, flexibility and innovation / Stefano Micossi; Human capital formation and industrial competitiveness / Naohiro Yashiro. Part III examines the national agenda and increasing interaction between macroeconomic and structural policy. It contains the following papers: Macroeconomic and structural policy in the knowledge-based economy / Luc Soete; Structural economic policy in an integrated world / Everett M. Ehrlich. Part IV looks at intangible assets within the following papers: Evaluating the importance of intangibles: how are they managed and accounted for and how do they contribute to growth and employment? / Ulf Johanson; Economics and the working environment and human resource accounting / Heikki Rouhesmaa; Human resource accounting and reporting / Willem Dercksen. Part V discusses knowledge infrastructures and flows. The papers are: Knowledge flows in national innovation systems / Jean Guinet; The effectiveness of the diffusion-oriented technology policy of Switzerland: the case of advanced manufacturing technologies / Heinz Hollenstein; Part VI on enterprises and social responsibility contains the paper: The social responsibility of enterprises: a new role for governments? / Stefan Wolter. Part VII examines intellectual property rights and the papers are: Collective research and IPRs in the global environment / Georges Ferne; Turning research into results / John N. Adams; The appropriation of technology: the situation in French industry / Jean-Paul Francois. The final session is contained in the paper: Learning to govern in the knowledge economy: policy co-ordination or institutional competition? / Peter J. Sheehan. Show less

In the wake of the technological revolution that began in the last decades of the 20th century, labour market demand for information-processing and other high-level cognitive and interpersonal skills is growing substantially. The Survey of Adult Skills, a product of the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), was designed to provide insights into the availability of some of these key skills in society and how they are used at work and at home. The first survey of its kind, it directly measures proficiency in several information-processing skills - namely literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments.

This publication describes the design and methodology of the survey and its relationship to other international assessments of young students and adults. It is a companion volume to 'Skills matter: further results from the Survey of Adult Skills'. This volume presents the results from the 24 countries and regions that participated in the first round of the survey in 2011-12, first published in 'OECD skills outlook 2013: first results from the Survey of Adult Skills' and from the nine additional countries that participated in the second round in 2014-15 (Chile, Greece, Indonesia [Jakarta], Israel, Lithuania, New Zealand, Singapore, Slovenia and Turkey).

Edited abstract from publisher's website.

The contents are as follows: What the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) measures; The background questionnaire of the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC); The methodology of the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) and the quality of data; Reporting the results of the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC); Relationship of the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) to other international skills surveys; Relationship between the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) and the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA); The Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) and 'key competencies'; The Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) and the measurement of human capital. Show less

Because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, most higher education institutions across the OECD decided to close their campuses. As a result, teaching and assessment activities have been conducted from a distance, generally online. Based on the literature and on the experiences of the international network of higher education institutions participating in the project on Fostering and Assessing Creativity and Critical Thinking of the OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI), this brief outlines possible short-term and long-term solutions for organising student examinations on line in the context of campus closures and social distancing measures. This policy brief explores the following questions: What are the challenges and solutions to designing and conducting end-of-term examinations on line following campus closures? What new forms of examinations could replace or supplement the mainstream methods in the future?

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