OECD Social

Read our 🆕 report -- Health at a Glance: Europe 2024. Great collaboration with DG Santé at the EC #SoHEU24. · At 81.5 years, life expectancy across the EU slightly exceeded pre-pandemic levels, but an 8-year gap remains across countries · COVID-19 highlighted the need for urgent action on two interrelated challenges to reduce pressures on health and long-term care systems: tackling health workforce shortages and promoting healthy longevity. · The health workforce grew to record highs in 2022, but this growth has not kept pace with the increasing demand for healthcare from an ageing population. And over a third of doctors in the EU are themselves at least 55 years old. · Less than half of the remaining life expectancy at age 65 is lived free of disability, with large socioeconomic inequalities. Promoting healthy ageing is key to reduce pressure on healthcare systems. · Health spending declined in 2022 as COVID-related expenditures decreased. Preliminary estimates for 2023 suggest a return to very moderate growth in health spending in real terms, averaging close to 1% across the EU. Will this be enough to make health system more resilient? Find out more here: https://oe.cd/5NB #HealthUnion

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🎙️ Missed the latest #OECDStats podcast episode?   Catch-up on the conversation and learn how timely data helps shape resilient #healthcare systems. 🎧 Listen below, wherever you get your podcasts 👇 🔵 Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/8UOtE 🔵 Spotify: https://shorturl.at/9xFCj 🔵 Soundcloud: https://shorturl.at/6eE9W OECD Social

How will you succeed in the AI and green jobs era? As technologies transform businesses, the skills required to thrive in the workforce are evolving rapidly. In this episode of Top Class, Stefano Scarpetta, OECD Director of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, and Chief Economist of LinkedIn, Karin Kimbrough, discuss how to navigate the job market of tomorrow. Speaking with OECD Editor Duncan Crawford, they outline the essential skills most likely to be in demand in the future. 🎧 Listen here ➡️ https://bit.ly/4gisbFu #FutureOfWork #AI #GreenJobs #SkillsForTheFuture #Skills #Education OECD Social, OECD - OCDE

Are social protection systems doing enough for gender equality? Across 27 OECD countries, the Risks that Matter survey finds that women consistently feel higher economic insecurity and have less confidence in social protection than men. Here are a few takeaways:   ➡️ Women are about 7 pp more likely than men to worry about their household finances in the next year or two, on average across countries; ➡️ About half of women feel that they could not easily receive public benefits if they needed them, compared to 43% of men; ➡️ Men are more likely to believe that public income support would be adequate in the event of unemployment, illness/disability, having a child, leaving work to provide long-term care, retirement, or death of a partner.   But this isn’t just a story about gender gaps in social contributions, which often lead to gender gaps in entitlements. This new analysis also finds steep gender differences in perceptions around “hassle costs” of programme access, as well as in perceptions of non-contributory programmes like childcare. It also suggests of how to better mainstream gender in social protection, including through gender impact assessments.  Read more: https://lnkd.in/eTXXUjxE   Valerie Frey Jasmin Thomas #FutureOfSocialProtection

Do you have the right skills for your job? About one-third of workers in OECD countries are mismatched for their jobs, whether in terms of their qualifications, skills or fields of study. This has significant economic and social costs, particularly if they are over-qualified. For example, adults who work in jobs that do not require their level of education receive 12% lower wages compared to peers who are in well-matched jobs. They are also four percentage points less likely to report high life satisfaction. This suggests that people in roles that do not use their qualifications can often believe their potential is wasted. This disconnect arises partly from individuals pursuing education for which there is limited demand and the slow adaptation of training programmes to evolving industry needs. Addressing these issues requires governments to invest in recognising, rewarding and certifying skills including those acquired in the labour market, offering flexible and modular training opportunities, and improving career guidance. By aligning education and labour market demands, countries can foster a "skills-first" culture, reduce mismatches, and ensure that education investments translate into tangible economic and social benefits. See the OECD Survey of #AdultSkills ➡️ https://oe.cd/5QQ | #PIAAC Glenda Quintini Anja Kathrin Meierkord Stefano Scarpetta

Adult learning can help give access to better quality jobs and improve employability and productivity, especially at a time of changing labour markets. For this to happen, adult learning must be of high quality. Quality assurance systems are essential to ensure that adult learning improves labour market outcomes for adults.   Adult training plays a crucial role in helping adults stay relevant in the labour market, either by updating adults’ or by providing them with new ones. But how can the quality of adult learning be assured?   A new OECD report examines the most common indicators across twelve quality assurance systems covering non-formal learning.   See latest analysis: oe.cd/qa-adult-learning.   EU-funded via #TSI with the Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support of the European Commission | @EU_Reforms #EUReformSupport #AdultLearning #Skills #OECD #QualityAssurance Patricia Navarro-Palau Karolin Killmeier Glenda Quintini Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) CINOP NRTO

The UK workforce is evolving rapidly, and so must the approach to career mobility and job quality. In the context of the green transition, digital advancements, and an ageing population, traditional career paths are being redefined. While more workers are staying in the workforce longer, many face barriers to job and career mobility, especially as they age. Addressing this challenge requires collaborative action from policymakers, employers, and communities to provide inclusive, adaptive support for workers at every stage of their career. Key priorities include: ➡️ Enhanced career guidance and lifelong learning: Flexible, accessible career support and learning pathways allow workers to upskill and adapt, particularly crucial for those in mid-to-late career stages. ➡️ Job quality and inclusive management practices: Fair pay, supportive working conditions and access to health and well-being support help retain talent and improve job satisfaction. SMEs in particular need support to offer quality management and health resources. ➡️ Health and flexibility: Poor health is a leading cause of early workforce exit in the UK. Early intervention, occupational health services and flexible work arrangements can make a big difference in retaining experienced workers. Investing in a resilient and inclusive labour market can ensure that all workers have the opportunity to navigate a changing landscape and find fulfilling roles. Let's build a future where career mobility and quality work are accessible to everyone, at every age. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gXhmGwZM #CareerMobility #FutureOfWork #InclusiveWorkforce #LifelongLearning Shruti Singh Christopher Prinz Andrew Aitken

Addressing Skill Gaps in a Rapidly Changing Economy In today’s world, firms are under immense pressure to adapt — due to technological advances, ageing populations, shifting global supply chains and net-zero climate targets. But skill gaps are a key challenge! Our latest report, based on the PIAAC Employer Survey Module, delves into the incidence of skill gaps in five European countries — Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the Slovak Republic — and explores how businesses are addressing this pressing issue. 💡 Key Insights: ➡️ Widespread challenge: Over one-third of firms report skill mismatches, with rates as high as 54% in the Slovak Republic. ➡️Top skill gaps: The most frequently cited gaps are in technical (46%), problem-solving (34%), and teamwork skills (33%). ➡️Sector impact: The manufacturing sector faces the greatest challenges, with 41% of firms reporting skill gaps, often in critical technical skills. ➡️Firm size matters: Larger firms report more skill gaps (59%) than smaller ones (34%), although this is partly due to their greater ability to detect such gaps. 🎯 What’s at stake? Skill gaps result in heavier workloads (63%), increased costs (50%), and hinder the adoption of new work practices (46%). Addressing these gaps is about staying competitive in an evolving global landscape. 📖 Dive into the full report to explore our findings: https://lnkd.in/g3BKUMNe #SkillGaps #PIAAC #OECD #AdultSkills #Employment Stefano Scarpetta Glenda Quintini Anja Kathrin Meierkord Elif Bahar OECD Education and Skills

🏠 Homelessness is one of the most complex and persistent social challenges of our time. As of 2024, over 2 million people in OECD and EU countries experience homelessness each year – but solutions are within reach. We are proud to launch the OECD Toolkit to Combat Homelessness: a comprehensive resource designed to help governments and stakeholders build integrated, people-centred, and housing-led strategies to end homelessness. 📚 What’s inside the Toolkit? ➡️ 9 Building Blocks: From policy design to delivery, covering prevention, Housing First, funding, and monitoring. ➡️ Evidence & Good Practices: Real-world examples and solutions tailored to diverse contexts. ➡️ Actionable Guidance: Tools for policymakers, NGOs, housing providers, and other stakeholders. 💡 Whether you are designing a national homelessness strategy, introducing prevention programmes, scaling up Housing First initiatives, or addressing the hidden dimensions of homelessness, this Toolkit offers practical insights to help you take action. 📊 Data-driven. 🎯 Prevention-focused. 💡 Solution-oriented. ➡️ Explore the Toolkit and contribute to working towards ending homelessness by 2030: https://oe.cd/5QI #EndHomelessness #OECDToolkit #SocialPolicy #HousingFirst Stefano Scarpetta, Mark Pearson, Monika Queisser-Richaud, Willem Adema, Marissa (Ellis) Plouin, Ali Bargu, Alexandre Lloyd, Pablo Minondo Canto, Szymon Jezewski, Santiago Mendia Oliver, Yves Leterme, Stefan Olsson, Katarina Ivanković Knežević, Lucie Davoine, Michele Calandrino, Aristotelis Alvanos, DIHAL | Délégation interministérielle à l'hébergement et à l'accès au logement, Laure Billoret, Sophie Bandarkar Freek Spinnewijn, Ruth Owen, Koen Hermans, Nicholas Pleace, Dr Julie Lawson, Juha Kahila, Solène Molard, Julia Wygnańska, Sam Tsemberis, PhD Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Housing First Europe Hub, Housing Europe, Eurocities, URBACT, UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme), Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness (IGH) , National Alliance to End Homelessness, EAPN - European Anti Poverty Network, Homelessness Policy Research Institute, Crisis, Centre for Homelessness Impact