The Swiss economy has shown resilience but the COVID-19 pandemic continues to raise uncertainty and challenges. Effective government support has helped protect employment and buttress household incomes. Nevertheless, some sectors and groups have been hit hard, with a disproportionate impact on low-middle skilled and low-wage workers. Fostering productivity growth is crucial to maintain high living standards in the future. Switzerland is one of the top OECD performers in terms of labour productivity, but productivity growth has slowed markedly over the past three decades. Lower barriers to free and open competition within the internal market and continued openness to international markets would spur competitive pressures and raise productivity and growth. In addition, effective and sustainable use of resources can sustain stronger and more inclusive growth. Raising labour market inclusiveness, by keeping higher numbers of older workers in employment as well as reducing the gender pay gap, would help the recovery and improve living standards of all. SPECIAL FEATURE: FOSTERING A STRONG LABOUR MARKET TO SUPPORT THE RECOVERY AND SUSTAIN GROWTH

The Swiss economy has shown resilience but the COVID-19 pandemic continues to raise uncertainty and challenges. Effective government support has helped protect employment and buttress household incomes. Nevertheless, some sectors and groups have been hit hard, with a disproportionate impact on low-middle skilled and low-wage workers.

The global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is uneven and becoming imbalanced. The OECD Economic Outlook, Volume 2021 Issue 2, highlights the continued benefits of vaccinations and strong policy support for the global economy, but also points to the risks and policy challenges arising from supply constraints and rising inflation pressures.

Switzerland has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic well. The pandemic has had major social and economic impacts, but an early, strong, and sustained health and economic policy response helped contain the contraction of activity. Coordinated efforts targeting households and firms stemmed a loss of purchasing power and a rise of unemployment and bankruptcies. Recovery has commenced, but uncertainty and risks remain high, dominated by pandemic dynamics. The rebound should deepen, as vaccination proceeds, containment is eased, and domestic and global demand picks up. Fiscal support has been rightly extended in 2021, and monetary policy remains accommodative. Policies should remain supportive until there are clear signs of sustained recovery; the authorities should expand support if needed. Redirection to fostering green, digital transformation with attention to low-income earners will be needed, including to ensure that prolonged emergency support does not hinder structural changes in the economy.

The labour markets of OECD and emerging economies are undergoing major transformations. The widespread slow-down in productivity and wage growth and high levels of income inequality in many countries are coupled with structural changes linked to the digital revolution, globalisation and ...

This review analyses the Swedish institutional framework for better regulation. In recent years Sweden has made a remarkable recovery, benefiting from deregulation efforts undertaken in the early to mid 1990s. Sweden places a strong emphasis on high ...