This report provides a detailed assessment of job retention support (ERTE) in Spain during the COVID-19 crisis. It provides three major insights. First, job retention support in Spain has been transformed from a little used and difficult to access scheme before the COVID-19 crisis to a scheme that can be scaled up quickly in response to a major economic downturn and be phased out easily as economic conditions recover. Second, the use of ERTE was stronger in regions, industries and occupations most affected by the COVID-19 crisis, suggesting support was effectively targeted to firms and workers that needed it most. Third, job retention was highly effective in supporting employment during the COVID-19 crisis. It not only prevented a major surge in unemployment but also avoided that the labour market became congested with too many job seekers competing for too few job vacancies. The labour market reform of December 2021 consolidated many of the important changes that made job retention support so successful during the COVID-19 crisis and in addition introduced a specific mechanism that allows scaling up support in the case of large adverse shocks.

Spain has been confronted with weak wage and productivity growth for several decades. This report provides an overview of the role that labour market policies as well as other policies can play in reviving broadly shared productivity growth in Spain. To set the scene, it starts with documenting the decline in broadly shared productivity growth and its underlying mechanisms.

The Europe Union's massive efforts to rebuild after the coronavirus pandemic present a unique opportunity to transform its economy, making it more green and digital – and ultimately more competitive. The Investment Report 2020-2021 looks at the toll the pandemic took on European firms' investment and future plans, as well as their efforts to meet the demands of climate change and the digital revolution. The report's analysis is based on a unique set of databases and data from a survey of 12 500 firms conducted in the summer of 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. While providing a snapshot of the heavy toll the pandemic took on some forms of investment, the report also offers hope by pointing out the economic areas in which Europe remains strong, such as technologies that combine green and digital innovation.

The 2021 edition of the OECD Employment Outlook focusses on the labour market implications of the COVID‐19 crisis. Chapters 1-3 concentrate on the main labour market and social challenges brought about by the crisis and the policies to address them.

This open access book focuses on Switzerland-based medium-sized companies with a longstanding export tradition and a proven dominance in global niche markets. Based upon in-depth documentation and analysis of 36 Swiss companies over their entire history, an expert team of authors presents several parallels in the pathways and success factors which allowed these firms to become dominant and operate from a high-cost location such as Switzerland. The book enhances these insights by providing detailed company profiles documenting the company history, development, and how their relevant global niche positions were reached. Readers will benefit from these profiles as they compile a diverse selection of industries, mainly active within the B2B sector, with mostly mature companies (60 years to older than 100 years since founding) and different types of ownership structures including family firms. ‘Masterpieces of Swiss Entrepreneurship’ brings unique learning opportunities to owners and leaders of SMEs in Switzerland and elsewhere. Findings are based on detailed bottom-up research of 36 companies -- without any preconceived notions. The book is both conceptual and practical. It fosters understanding for different choices in development pathways and management practices. Matti Alahuhta, Chairman DevCo Partners, ex-CEO Kone, Board member of several global listed companies, Helsinki, Finland Start-up entrepreneurs need proven models from industry which demonstrate the various paths to success. “Masterpieces of Swiss Entrepreneurship” provides deep insights highlighting these models and the important trade-offs entrepreneurial teams must consider when choosing the path of high growth or of maximum control, as they are often mutually exclusive. Gina Domanig, Managing Partner, Emerald Technology Ventures, Zurich

Reviews and discusses the main characteristics of short-time schemes available in the EU. Highlights the risk that a prolonged use of short-time work supports the demand of declining sectors, eventually delaying their restructuring, especially when the costs of labour reallocation are low and the incentives to restructure high, because the opportunity costs of foregone output is lower in recessions than in booms.

Global Economic Prospects, January 2022