Jobs

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In South Africa about 39% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is much lower than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In South Africa, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 17.9%, much higher than the OECD average of 1.3%. 

 The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. South Africans earn per year, on average, much less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In South Africa, workers face an expected loss of earnings if they become unemployed much higher than the OECD average of 5.1%.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Helping youth find formal work

In South Africa, many people participate in the informal economy where the quality of jobs and access to training is low. At the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, young people are connected to employers looking for entry-level talent to help them get their start in the formal economy. This project is co-funded by the South African government under the Job Fund, and aims to match young people with potential employers through psychometric and qualitative assessments. Young people with at least upper secondary education are targeted in particular and training is provided for those testing with low levels of numeracy proficiency. Candidates are also provided with bridging courses to improve their employability. Since the project was first launched in 2011, Harambee has placed about 35 000 young people in 300 South African businesses.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Australia, 73% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and are actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth, and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Australia, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 1%, lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Australians earn USD 55 206 per year on average, more than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Australia, workers face an expected 3.1% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Helping youth transition from school to work

Australia's targeted support programmes help youth from disadvantaged communities successfully transition from school to work.

The Beacon Foundation operates a three-year programme that brings schools, community and businesses together to prepare young people for work. Beacon's 2013 annual report found that retention, employment and participation rates in the 132 schools they operated were above the national average. Over 98% of participating students were fully engaged in work, education or training nine months after completing year 10 – 11.6% higher than the national average for 16 to 17 year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds. The programme also provides a one-day Work Readiness programme for schoolchildren between 7 and 12 years old.

BoysTown is a national youth service that collaborates with mental health services, schools, and technical and further education (TAFE) and employment service providers to develop school-to-work programmes. These programmes engage or re-engage young people by offering individual case management; psychological assessments; training in literacy and numeracy, employment, job seeking, interpersonal and basic life skills. A 2004-2012 evaluation of the programme in Queensland found that 50% of participants entered employment, 20% resumed education, and 20% commenced accredited training.

Choices not Chances

Redbank Plains State High School in southwest Australia, about 30 kilometres from Brisbane, is in a low socio-economic area with a large incidence of recent migrants from the Pacific Islands and New Zealand and a relatively high level of unemployment. In 2011, the school embarked on a concerted effort to transform its performance with the help of state and federal funding. A key part of this effort was recognising that a significant proportion of students would prefer to go straight to work after leaving high school.

Redbank Plains introduced a school-to-work programme called "Choices not Chances" to help a culturally diverse school population through senior school years to sustainable employment. A specific focus is to change and challenge a culture of local unemployment through community partnerships and intensive support for students, families and the wider community.

Through the programme, the students increase their knowledge of various industries and develop the skills and habits required to work in them. Local business leaders address students at assemblies and visits are organised to give students a first-hand insight into the world of work. In their final year at school, students have the opportunity to gain direct experience through work experience placements.

A spin-off of the school’s strong focus on transition to work was jobs for parents of Redbank Plains pupils. Through its connection with the school, a local bus company with a persistent recruitment problem discovered that unemployed parents of students at the school would be an ideal source of bus drivers.

 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Austria, 72% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and are actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Austria, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 1.3%, the same as the OECD average.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Austrians earn USD 53 132 per year on average, more than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Austria, workers face an expected 2.3% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Vocational education and training

 The Austrian Vocational Education and Training (VET) system has attained substantial achievements in international comparison.

 It is highly diverse with many different programmes and institutions offering access to different social groups, and with range of options for students to access higher education. Highly structured professional examinations offer higher earnings and more senior positions to those acquiring skills on the job. Social partners are also included in the VET system, through the Economic Chamber and the Chamber of Labour, as active members of many commissions and co-ordination councils. This has led student numbers to continue to grow in VET colleges and Universities of Applied Sciences (UASs) have built a high reputation amongst students, employers and the general public.

 In order to remain attractive to students, and to respond to increasing demand for flexibility and adaptation, VET programmes should seek to provide skills that go beyond those required for a specific occupation, and also ensure better transitions to higher education. In this regard, the system of modular apprenticeships and VET colleges should be developed further.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Belgium, 65% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is slightly lower than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and are actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Belgium, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 2.3%, higher than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Belgians earn USD 54 327 per year on average, more than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Belgium, workers face an expected 2.4% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Better integrating migrants into the labour market

Several regions have responded to a growing ethnic gap in Belgium by establishing new integration policies. In the Walloon Region, the Federal Individualised Project for Social Integration was expanded to help immigrants find jobs. The programme includes a job-insertion plan that comprises language training, skills validation and in-demand technological job training. In the Brussels-Capital Region, newly arrived migrants have access to social, professional and linguistic assessments as well as training and validation as part of the Plan Formation 2020. The Flemish government approved a Horizontal Integration Policy Plan in 2016 to reduce the ethnic gap and has also recruited additional language counsellors to its employment service.

Helping unemployed youth prepare for business creation

The DreamStart project operates as a business plan development course. Participants are selected through intake interviews that assess their business ideas, drive and chances of success. Participants meet for 3 full days per week to study and interact with entrepreneurs, start-up experts and other potential entrepreneurs over a 2-month period. During this period participants receive training and advice from volunteer experts in the private, public and financial sectors. Participants work together to develop their business plans during these 2 months. It is up to the individuals to implement their plan and start their own business. While finance and other start-up supports are not officially part of the support package, participants are often able to access microcredit through MicroStart, a sister organisation of DreamStart.

About 60% of those who completed the scheme started a business within a year. One-third of these worked full-time in their business and two-thirds combined their business start-up with paid employment. Many participants formed their own unofficial peer-support groups following the scheme.

 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Brazil, 57% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is lower than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and are actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Brazil, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is higher than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Brazilians earn much less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Brazil, workers face a higher expected loss of earnings if they become unemployed than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Reducing informality

Informal jobs put workers at risk of lower pay, benefits and legal protection. In Brazil, the informality rate dropped by over 12 percentage points since 2000 thanks to a combination of stronger economic growth and specific policy interventions. The country is now one of the most successful cases in Latin America in reducing informality. Studies suggest that lower administrative burdens for registering a small business with up to one employee, including the possibility to register in a few steps online and simpler rules for complying with taxes and contributions, contributed to the formalisation of nearly 500 000 microenterprises and nearly two million jobs over five years. At the same time, Brazil’s experience also shows that such programmes involve trade-offs, as too much differential treatment between small and larger firms can create disincentives for firms to grow. 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Canada, about 70% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and are actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Canada, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 0.5%, lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Canadians earn USD 55 342 per year on average, more than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Canada, workers face an expected 3.8% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Targeted support for older workers

The Targeted Initiative for Older Workers (TIOW) programme was set up in 2007 to help older workers get a job. It targets unemployed people between 55 and 64 living in small, vulnerable communities. As of March 2015, the TIOW has helped more than 35 000 people find jobs in over 800 projects through group-based skills training and employment assistance. It also offers income support via allowances during training and support along with services in job search techniques, counselling, interview techniques and CV writing. This successful programme was extended over 2014-17 and eligibility has been broadened to reach more people. Based on the latest evaluation, about 75% of participants find a paid job after completion.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Chile, around 56% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is lower than the OECD employment average of 66% and the one of the lowest figures in the OECD.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and are actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Chile, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is higher than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Chileans earn USD 26 729 per year on average, much less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Chile, workers face an expected 7% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, higher than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Training vulnerable workers

The Chilean government launched MásCapaz to improve the labour prospects of its most vulnerable populations, particularly youth and women.

MásCapaz is an ambitious employment training programme that targets low-skilled workers and workers with weak labour market attachment. Training schemes are intensive and last between 200 and 300 hours. The programme will also increase spending in labour market programmes by 0.4% of GDP to increase women's labour participation and reduce the gender gap.

In its first year of implementation the programme attracted 56 thousand to its training course. About 50% of participants were younger than 30 years and 75.8% were among the 20% of the poorest. MásCapaz is expected to train 300 000 women and 150 000 youth by 2018.

More jobs for low-income women

In Chile, the participation of low-income women in the labour market is held down by economic barriers because work often does not pay enough to compensate the cost of childcare. Even though female participation has increased from below 40% in the early 2000s it remains low at 55.7% in 2014.

To encourage more of these women to take up paid work, the Chilean government introduced an in-work benefit (Bono al Trabajo de la Mujer) in 2012, as part of the new cash transfer programme, Ingreso Etico Familiar. It builds on the successful experience of the in-work benefit for youth (Subsidio al Empleo Jóven), and targets women aged 25-59. At least 40% of the most vulnerable working women may be able to receive the subsidy. The benefit can go up to about CLP 34 000 (USD 67) per month on top of the Ingreso Etico Familiar transfer. It also includes a subsidy for the employer to encourage labour demand. In 2012, about 180 000 women received the subsidy. 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In the Czechia, 74% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%. 

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In the Czechia, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 0.6%, lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Czech people earn USD 29 885 per year on average, much less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In the Czechia, workers face an expected 2.3% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Denmark, 74% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Denmark, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at about 0.9%, lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Danish people earn 58 430 per year on average, more than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Denmark, workers face an expected 4.5% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database

Better Policies for Better Lives

The flexicurity labour market model

The Danish flexicurity model, which was largely developed through the 1990s, is characterised by three core elements: flexible rules for hiring and dismissals, generous replacement rates of unemployment insurance benefits and substantial spending on active labour market policies. The main advantage of flexicurity is that it limits the financial risk to both employers and employees. The high degree of flexibility allows companies to make quick adjustments to their work force in the different phases of the business cycle, and in hiring inexperienced youth.

The flexicurity model performed well in the two decades leading up to the global crisis and early assessment of its performance during the downturn also points to robust outcomes. At the same time, there has been only a small increase in structural unemployment in the wake of the downturn. However, the Danish flexicurity system is expensive, as Denmark’s share of GDP spent on active labour market policies was the largest among the OECD countries in 2013.

Coaching for entrepreneurs from ethnic minorities

The Ethnic Coach for Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurs project aims to overcome a lack of trust in the public support system by providing advice from professional coaches from the same ethnic group as the participant. The role of the coach is to help the entrepreneur adjust to the regulatory and social norms of the new country, and to build and strengthen ethnic minority social and entrepreneurial networks. Coaches help clarify and strengthen business plans and needs, then refer the entrepreneur to training and other advisory services in the local area. Once the business is launched, coaches continue to support the entrepreneurs as they develop and grow their business.

In recent years, nearly 100 ethnic minority entrepreneurs have been assisted annually. The scheme won the European Trailblazer Award in 2006 and was selected as a European best practice in the Interreg IVC project, Enspire EU (Entrepreneurial inspiration for the European Union) in 2011.

 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Estonia, 74% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Estonia, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 1.2%, slightly lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Estonians earn USD 30 720 per year on average, less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Estonia, workers face an expected 5.4% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, slightly higher than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Finland, 72% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Finland, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at about 1.2%, slightly lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Finns earn USD 46 230 per year on average, slightly less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Finland, workers face an expected 2.2% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Adult education for better employment

Finland has invested highly in vocation education and training (VET) to maintain and develop adult skills that lead to better job prospects and a greater capacity to adapt to the labour market.

About 1.7 million adults, more than 60% of the adult population, participate in adult education each year and a growing number of Finnish adults participate in further vocational education and apprenticeship training. Adults over 25 are highly represented in apprenticeship programmes, in comparison with other European countries: around 80% of apprentices are over 25 and many of the trainees are already employed when they begin an apprenticeship.

The Finnish government allocates 40% of its adult education budget, a relatively large proportion, to vocational education and training. Most of the programmes are offered free of charge.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one’s own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In France, about 65% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is slightly lower than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In France, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 2.9%, higher than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. French people earn USD 45 581 per year on average, below the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In France, workers face an expected 3.1% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Germany, about 77% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Germany, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 1.2%, slightly lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Germans earn USD 53 754 per year on average, more than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Germany, workers face an expected 1.4% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Striving for equal representation

Female representation in top corporate jobs continues to lag behind in many OECD countries. To counter this trend, Germany implemented binding gender quotas in 2016 to foster gender parity in both the private and public sectors. First, in stock-listed and “co-determined” companies and large companies of 2 000 or more workers, women must account for 30% of seats in the supervisory boardrooms. Second, companies that are either stock-listed or co-determined have to publish their objectives for the share of women they will appoint to boards and top management ranks. Third, in state-owned companies, the gender quota target has been set to 50% for supervisory boards by 2018 (30% in certain cases where not all members of the board can be appointed). 

 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Greece, about 56% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is much lower than the OECD employment average of 66% and the one of the lowest figures in the OECD.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Greece, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at almost 10.8%, the highest rate in the OECD, where average unemployment is of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Greeks earn USD 27 207 per year on average, much less than the OECD average of USD 49 165. 

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Greece, workers face an expected 21.7% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much higher than the OECD average of 7% and the highest in the OECD.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Hungary, 70% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job, higher than the OECD average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Hungary, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at almost 1.2%, just below the the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Hungarians earn USD 25 409 per year on average, much less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Hungary, workers face an expected 3.8% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

The Job Protection Act to promote employment growth

 The Hungarian government introduced several active labour market policy measures to improve employability of certain groups of jobseekers, such as the 2013 Job Protection Act. Its measures are largly aimed at strengthening labour demand for workers with weak links to the labour market, such as people under the age of 25 or over 55, long-term job-seekers and mothers with small children returning to work.

 The Job Protection Act significantly reduced the social security contributions of employers and contributed to the increase in the employment rate of 55-64-year-olds since the crisis. With a gross wage of up to HUF 100 000, the overall 28.5% of social security contributions payable by the employer is lowered to 14%, when companies employ people under the age of 25, over 55 or workers in unskilled jobs. Furthermore, in the first two years of employment, enterprises are exempt from social security contributions in the case of career starters (under 25, with at least 180 days of work experience), long-term job seekers (registered as unemployed for over 6 months) and mothers with small children.

 Further policies include “Path-to-work”, for example, a large-scale active labour market programme which aims to improve the employability of jobseekers with personalised programmes, including labour market services, subsidies and training. The Youth Guarantee system aims to ensure that young people (16-24) not in education, employment or training are provided with a support to improve their chances on the primary labour market. These include entrepreneurship support, apprenticeships and traineeships. Furthermore, the start-up incentive programme aims to help young people set up their businesses; young people who complete their training and have their business plan accepted can apply for a maximum EUR 10 000 grant to cover their initial costs. 

 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Iceland, 78% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is much higher than the OECD employment average of 66% and one of the highest rates in the OECD.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Iceland, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 0.7, much lower than the OECD the average of 1.8%. 

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Icelanders earn USD 67 488 per year on average, more than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Iceland, workers face an expected 1% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much lower than the OECD average of 5.1% and the lowest in the OECD.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Equal status and equal rights of men and women at work

Iceland consistently ranks among the top performers in terms of the participation of women in the labour market and on the Global Gender Gap Index. Iceland also ranks in the top ten on economic participation and opportunity.

Publicly-owned companies and public limited liability companies with at least 50 employees and boards of more than three members are legally required to be composed of at least 40% of each gender. Smaller companies (with 25 employees or more) must disclose the gender composition of their employees, including those in management positions. Though Iceland has had success in reducing the gender gap, which was about 5.1% in 2011-13, the government is determined to reduce it even more.

One initiative focuses on making sure that all jobs of equal value are paid the same. The government plans to make smaller companies, with 25 or more employees, develop a certification scheme for gender pay equality. Since this type of obligation could put pressure on smaller companies, the government plans to roll out the scheme gradually and monitor the change regularly to allow for modifications as needed. This is a good example of best practice in continuing successful efforts in promoting and supporting gender equality in the workplace.

For more information on estihmates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Ireland, about 68% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%. 

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Ireland, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at about 1.2%, slightly lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Irish people earn USD  49 474 per year on average, this is in line with the OECD average of USD 49 165. 

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Ireland, workers face an expected 2.6% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much below the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Skills boosting

Ireland encourages the development of high level skills through sector specific training programmes.

Skillnets is Ireland's largest organisation supporting workplace training. It promotes and facilitates workplace training and upskilling by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Skillnets also heads a national programme that steers regional and sectoral SME training networks. These training plans are adapted to suit specific company workforces. Skillnets expanded in 2010 to provide training for jobseekers, including programmes like the Jobseeker Support Programme, which includes work placements. It had 70 operational networks, 30 of which were based on Dublin, and trained over 40 000 people in 2011.

The Momentum programme offers training for high level skills in line with the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work. The second phase of Momentum was launched in 2014 to provide up to 6 000 education and training places for the long-term unemployed to tackle skill shortages.

Springboard+ 2015 incorporates the Springboard programme and ICT Skills Conversion programme to place jobseekers in training courses. It will provide over 9 000 places in free part-time and full-time higher education reskilling and upskilling courses. The Springboard programme provided over 5 700 places in 212 courses, including ICT conversion courses, in 2014 alone. 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Israel, around 67% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is just above the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Israel, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 0.2%, much lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Israelis earn USD 39 322 per year on average, less than the OECD average of USD 49 165. 

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Israel, workers face an expected 4.6% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, which is lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Italy, 58% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is lower than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Italy, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 4.8%, much higher than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Italians earn USD 37 769 per year on average, less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Italy, workers face an expected 8.6% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much higher than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Boosting skills and innovation

Italy launched the National Industry 4.0 Plan in 2016 to boost skills and innovation in new technologies over 2017-20. It provides a range of incentives to stimulate investment as well as increase public investment to extend the ultra-broadband network. Examples of such investments include: a hyper-depreciation scheme, a super-depreciation scheme, R&D tax credits, tax credits for start-ups and innovative small- and medium-enterprises. To enhance the country’s technological skills, the Plan will implement a national Digital School Plan, increase the number of students and researchers in technical and scientific subjects, and create competence centres and digital innovation hubs to support knowledge-sharing between universities, the public and private sectors in facilitating technological transfer, and skills in new technology.

Boosting employment through reform

Italy introduced a series of policies to reverse the damage caused by the 2008 economic crisis. The 2015 Jobs Act and temporary exemptions in social security contributions have helped create new open-ended contract jobs while also transforming many temporary, atypical and apprenticeship jobs into permanent ones. A new type of permanent contract was also introduced, increasing employment protection for new hires with job tenure. A combination of measures to support paternal care and maternity protection, such as a monthly subsidy for female workers at the end of maternity, have also contributed to higher labour participation. The coverage and duration of unemployment benefits were increased, improving both flexibility and security for Italian workers. Recent growth in employment and participation rates demonstrate the initial success of these policies.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Japan, 77% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Japan, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at nearly 0.8%, lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Japanese people earn USD 38 515 per year on average, less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Japan, workers face an expected 2.7% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Reaching young jobseekers

High-school graduates in Japan traditionally get on-the-job vocational training . These placements are organised by schools and the public employment service, Hello Work. The programme has been highly successful, with nearly 98% of those who entered the programme placed with an employer by the end of the 2015-16 academic year.

Job Cafés provide young people with a one-stop employment service centre. Hello Work branches are available at some of the cafés and offer work placement services. People can also access matching services, collective information seminars, individual counselling, résumé preparation, training in interview techniques, and aptitude tests. This is particularly helpful for young people with higher education who are not eligible for the vocational training programme. Job Cafés are managed by Japanese prefectures with co-operation from local firms and educational institutions so that advice can be adapted to reflect the technical skills needed by local industry. By 2014, 110 centres (cafés) and 39 Hello Work branches were operational in 46 prefectures, reaching nearly 1.68 million young people annually.

Supporting skills development and employment

The Chiba Vocational Training Support Center – Polytechnic Center Chiba (PPC) is a public vocational training institution that protects elderly employment, promotes vocational independence of persons with disabilities, and promotes assistant services and training courses. The PCC operates in four areas: training courses for jobseekers (available for jobseekers in general); training courses for workers; consultation and assistance for employers; and jobseekers support training (targeted to non-EI recipients). The employment rate of 715 jobseekers following training was 90.3%; 1 003 workers were enrolled in training courses to advance skills; and jobseekers support training provided 343 courses to 7 902 trainees in 2012. On average, 75% of trainees find a permanent job as training is closely designed to local needs.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Korea, 66% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is in line with the OECD employment average.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Korea, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently nearly 0%, the lowest rate in the OECD, where the average long-term unemployment rate is 1.3%. 

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Koreans earn USD 41 960 per year on average, less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Korea, workers face an expected 2.9% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Protecting workers

 Korea’s Employment Insurance System (EIS) played a significant role in softening the effects of the economic crisis on employment. The EIS is made up of an unemployment benefit, job security programmes and job capability programmes. This system goes beyond income support, offering programmes that show employers how to retain jobs and making workers more employable. For example, the job security programme creates new jobs and encourages employers to keep workers, while the job capability development programme creates training and education opportunities. The subsidy for employment retention was particularly important following the crisis as it encourages employers to relocate jobs and give employees training opportunities rather than fire them in hard times. In 2009, the subsidy was increased tenfold from the previous year to curb the effects of the crisis and prevent widespread unemployment. More should be done to include non-regular workers in the EIS and Korea has taken a first step in this direction by introducing the Durunuri programme, which reduces the burden of EIS insurance premiums for small firms. 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Luxembourg, about 67% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is slightly higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Luxembourg, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 1.7%, higher than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. People in Luxembourg earn USD 65 854 per year on average, much more than the OECD average of USD 49 165 and one of the highest rates in the OECD.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Luxembourg, workers face an expected 2.2% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Encouraging self-employment among young people

The public-private initiative Jonk Entrepreneuren Luxembourg (Young entrepreneurs in Luxembourg) promotes entrepreneurship and self-employment as an alternative to paid employment for young people. The non-profit organisation offers tailor-made and practice-orientated training for students, supported by the private sector and the main professional chambers in Luxembourg. The project reaches students through their formal education, and annual fairs and entrepreneurship events. For example, the annual fair in 2013 was attended by 400 students from 13 schools. The project has also been successful at raising the profile and awareness about youth entrepreneurship through extensive media coverage. 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Mexico, about 59% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is lower than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Mexico, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at less than 0.1%, much lower than the OECD average of 1.3% and one of the lowest in the OECD.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. People in Mexico earn USD 16 230 per year on average, much less than the OECD average of USD 49 165 and the lowest in the OECD.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Mexico, workers face an expected 4% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database. 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In the Netherlands, about 78% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66% and one of the highest in the OECD.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In the Netherlands, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at about 0.9%, lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Dutch people earn USD 58 828 per year on average, more than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In the Netherlands, workers face an expected 2.5% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Helping disabled students find work

The project "Boris helps you into work" (Boris brengt je naar een baan) helps secondary schools better support students with disabilities in acquiring a job. In collaboration with vocational schools and certified companies, the approach of practice-based learning was adapted to students with disabilities in secondary special education.

About a third of the 355 students completed the programme; of these 51% ended up in work, 31% went on to subsequent education and the remaining group moved on to sheltered employment or daytime activities. The participating schools judged that the project helped them in improving the quality of practice-based learning trajectories, acquiring a better view on the job opportunities within the region and extending their network for internships.

The project "With the coach for the job" (Met de coach naar de job) supports students with a disability during the internship in their final study year and in their transition into the labour market. Job coaches were placed in secondary special education to help students looking for a suitable company for their internship and to guide them during the period of the internship. Students with a job coach had fewer problems during their internship and more often acquired regular work after finishing the study (50% compared with 33% of the students without a job coach).

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In New Zealand, about 77% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In New Zealand, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 0.4%, lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. In New Zealand people earn USD 45 269 per year on average, less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In New Zealand, workers face an expected 4.5% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, below the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Branding New Zealand abroad

One important initiative has been the creation of a web-based database in which persons interested in migrating to New Zealand can register their interest. By 2014, more than 200 000 migrant candidates have registered for this database which is integrated into the broader "New Zealand Now" portal (www.newzealandnow.govt.nz) that provides a wide range of information about working, living and studying in the country. Migrant candidates who have registered in the database also receive other information about New Zealand, including on recruitment fairs which are regularly organised by Immigration New Zealand in the main origin countries. Registered employers have access to this candidate database via the "Skill Finder". This free service allows employers to search the candidate database by occupation, level of academic qualification, residence and years of experience. They then register their vacancy and submit a request to the Immigration New Zealand marketing team who will work within the following business days with the employer to format a formal request to the candidates in the database they identified as suitable. Recipients can then apply for the position by sending their CV directly to the employer via a special web account set up for this purpose. Only skilled or shortage occupations are eligible. 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Norway, about 75% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Norway, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at nearly 0.9%, lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Norwegians earn USD 55 780 per year on average, more than the OECD average of USD 49 165. 

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Norway, workers face an expected 2.8% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Attracting migrant workers to rural areas

In Norway, regions face a challenge in building an infrastructure for expatriates. One example is the coastal county of Møre and Romsdal, where the largest town, Ålesund, has 45 000 inhabitants. Specialised in shipbuilding supplying the oil industry, local firms report a continuous shortage of engineers and other tertiary-educated workers, and is therefore interested in attracting new families.

The lifestyle in rural Norway suits some labour migrants but not others. Departure in the initial year is high. The county reports that if the migrant or family stays more than one year, they are likely to remain over time. Female labour migrants generally arrive single but settle if they find a partner. Male migrants tend to bring their families; once their children are in school, retention is high.

The Ålesund Chamber of Commerce in partnership with regional businesses and local authorities created an international school as a non-profit foundation. The Norwegian state pays 85% of the cost of the school, so tuition is a fraction of the cost of private schools in Oslo. The county has also pushed the municipal services in rural towns to be more proactive with new migrants, going out to welcome them upon arrival, identify their needs and help them. For spouses who arrive without employment, local firms are active in trying to identify possible employment for them. 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Poland, 69% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Poland, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 0.6%, lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Polish people earn USD 32 527 per year on average, less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Poland, workers face an expected 5% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, in line with the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Boosting jobs in social enterprises

The ES Fund TISE is a pilot programme that gives loans to micro and small social enterprises along with free advisory services. The scheme ensures that these enterprises have access to finance, develop and promote social entrepreneurship. The programme has proven to help tackle unemployment and social exclusion while implementing and testing repayable financing models for social economy entities. 

To date, it has exceeded expectations, granting 431 loans to 371 social enterprises, creating 436 jobs (more than half for women), and ensuring over 1 400 long-term jobs. The programme was initially scheduled to span 2013-2020 and the job creation target had originally been set for 50 new jobs, but it has been so successful that the Fund schedule has been extended to 2021. This includes investment, repayment, and monitoring phases. It is the first nationwide, publicly-funded solution to support social enterprises, distinguished by its preferential pricing, regional allocation and distribution of funds, pricing conditions linked to proven social impact, and free advisory services. The ES Fund TISE is an example of good practice and some countries have already expressed interest in following Poland’s lead.

Training people with disabilities to be entrepreneurs

The project Wings for Business supports unemployed people with a disability in busines creation in the Wielkopolska region of Poland. It provides training, business advisory services and start-up financing. A recruitment committee assesses each applicant’s business idea, their qualifications and relevant work experience. The type of disability, gender and age were also considered in selecting participants. Up to 78 hours of training were provided according to the identified needs, and this was complemented by individual business counselling. People who completed the training programme also received grants of up to PLN 40 000 (approximately EUR 10 000) for creating and developing a business. After business creation, additional financial supports and training are offered. All of the 22 persons who completed the programme in 2013-14 started their own business.

 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Portugal, around 69% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is the same as the OECD average.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Portugal, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 2.3%, higher than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Portuguese people earn USD 28 410 per year on average, much less than the OECD average of USD 49 165. 

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Portugal, workers face an expected 8.1% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much higher than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Jobs for innovation and productivity

The Portuguese economy contracted in 2011-13 in the wake of the global financial crisis. However, GDP is forecast to grow in real terms in 2014. The government has taken significant action to restore the sustainability of public finances and restart growth. On-going reforms aim to improve product and labour market regulation, upgrade education and skills, and enhance innovation.

Innovation also has a major role to play in boosting productivity. Portugal’s business environment is very conducive to entrepreneurship, although provision of venture capital is at the median of OECD countries. Various initiatives support business innovation, entrepreneurship and SMEs. +Innovation +Industry is a new investment programme addressed to small firms and entrepreneurs in traditional business sectors. +Innovation +Industry aims to promote business spin-offs and innovation capacity by providing access to a Venture Capital Funds, business accelerators for internationalisation and coaching for business development. SIFIDE provides fixed and incremental tax credits for R&D and supports the hiring of doctoral-level graduates in companies. In 2013, the government launched INOVA, Creative Youngsters: Entrepreneurs for the 21st century programme to develop an environment that favours innovation and creativity in primary and secondary schools. The programme seeks to foster youngsters' analytical capabilities and the mind-sets needed to identify business opportunities, take risks and face competition.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In the Russian Federation, around 70% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD average of 66%.

 

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In the Russian Federation, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is 1.1%, lower than the OECD average of 1.3%. 

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Russian people earn per year, on average, less than the OECD average of USD 49 165. 

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In the Russian Federation, workers face an expected loss of earnings if they become unemployed lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

 

 For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

 

 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In the Slovak Republic, around 68% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In the Slovak Republic, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at nearly 3%, higher than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Slovak people earn USD 23 619 per year on average, much less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In the Slovak Republic, workers face an expected 8.8% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much higher than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Creating entrepreneurs

The Slovak Republic is among the EU countries with the highest levels of unemployment, despite the current recovery in GDP, with young people and women particularly hard-hit. The Training and Advisory Services for Potential Entrepreneurs project offers training and business advisory services to unemployed people, youth, and women during and after maternity leave, seniors and immigrants to support the development of business plans. 

The programme aims to increase awareness and knowledge of opportunities in self-employment through training while providing advice to those who wish to start. Applications are assessed by business advisors, who refer the potential entrepreneurs to free training courses and business advisory services.

Almost 10 000 people have taken part in training courses since they were started in 2002, and in 2011, 73% of those who participated in training started a business.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Slovenia, about 71% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Slovenia, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 1.9%, higher than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Slovenians earn USD 41 445 per year on average, less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Slovenia, workers face an expected 5.9% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, higher than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Improving employment services

Local public employment services (PES) offices give young people career guidance with the aim of realising the European Youth Guarantee. To improve their services, 68 new and specially trained counsellors were employed between 2014-15 to help existing counsellors better manage caseloads and increase the time allotted to each client. Evaluations have revealed that the staff increase and specialised training has significantly improved the quality of PES guidance. Clients have shown increased general satisfaction in PES services, particularly among younger people. Results have also shown that these measures improved young people’s job-finding chances. The PES is implementing another project over 2016-2022, which targets the long-term unemployed by increasing the number of staff specially trained to work with disadvantaged groups.

Between 2007-13, the PES also supported a self-employment programme with help from the European Social Fund. This programme provided 23 316 people with subsidies for self-employment, which included training in basic entrepreneurial skills, and the development and presentation of a business plan. These plans were then assessed for their sustainability. The programme was largely successful with more than 94% of the businesses still in operation after the first year and 85% surviving the first two years. About 19% of the self-employed also became employers themselves, creating 2 600 new jobs in Slovenia. The programme also reached its gender inclusion target, with a 41% participation rate for women.

Entrepreneurially into the World of Business

To reduce unemployment among young people who have completed higher education, the government developed an integrated entrepreneurship programme to help them into the labour market.

The project was designed to help highly educated individuals under 35 years old start a business or move into employment. Participants are hired as public servants and paid a monthly salary of EUR 798 for 4 months, which is essentially an allowance. Rather than working, participants receive entrepreneurship training and individual coaching, mentoring and business counselling through Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to support them in business creation. Training and coaching are provided by staff in the RDAs and by business consultants. Participants also have access to business counselling for one year after start-up. The project has been implemented in three phases; one regional pilot project and two national projects in all regions. Monitoring data suggest that 134 (56%) of those participating in the first national project (i.e. in 2013) successfully started their businesses or found employment

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Spain, around 62% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is lower than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Spain, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at about 5%, higher than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Spaniards earn USD 37 922 per year on average, less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Spain, workers face an expected 15.8% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much higher than the OECD average of 5.1% and one of the highest in the OECD.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Green entrepreneurship

The Red Emprendeverde (Green Entrepreneurship Network) is an online platform that was created by the Spanish Government’s public foundation Fundación Biodiversidad. Linking entrepreneurs, investors and civil society, the Network supports the business community in seizing opportunities to create and support green initiatives. Practically, it serves as a one-stop shop offering monitoring, technical assistance, training courses and more to entrepreneurs. The Network also shares best practices, contributes to enterprise creation, identifies promising projects, and clearly defines the meaning of green enterprise, green entrepreneur, eco-investor and other such terms.

For more information see: www.redemprendeverde.es

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Sweden, 75% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Sweden, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently 1%, lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Swedish people earn USD 47 020 per year on average, slightly less than the OECD average USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Sweden, workers face an expected 4.4% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Supporting displaced workers in times of crisis

In Sweden, Job Security Councils work with Public Employment Services to provide continuous and tailored services to displaced workers. Initially established following massive job losses in the 1970s, these Councils have maintained relevance in helping workers in times of crisis and are considered an example of best practice. The Councils are based on collective agreements between social partners and are actively involved in restructuring and providing advice to employers and trade unions. They give displaced workers transition services and guidance after their positions have been made redundant after job losses. The risks and costs of restructuring the labour market are shared among its members. Around 80% of participants find a solution through employment or retraining within seven months. These results were sustained even during the financial crisis of 2008-10, helping a significant number of people transition into work.

Supporting jobseekers

Jobbtorg is an employment service for youth, immigrants, and other people who are not eligible for unemployment benefits. The service is run by local governments in association with the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen). Jobseekers are offered coaching, matching and guidance counselling once they register with the employment service. In Stockholm, Jobbtorg services help about 3 000 out of 6 000 clients find a job or education every year.

Jobbstart is an associated service that offers clients with training in a job-like situation. This programme includes a three-week training course followed by three months of on-the-job training. Upon completion trainees can be hired on for a full year. About 50 out of 100 participants get hired on through this programme every year. Participants also benefit from courses, job-testing and further job-training. People with social problems, drug abuse, or previous convictions can access specialised services to help them enter the labour market. 

 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Switzerland, 80% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is much higher than the OECD employment average of 66% and is one of the highest rates in the OECD.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Switzerland, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 1.7%, higher than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Swiss people earn USD 64 824 per year on average, much more than the OECD average of USD 49 165 and one of the highest in the OECD.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Switzerland, workers face an expected loss of earnings if they become unemployed much lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Vocational education and training

Switzerland prioritises vocational education and training for students in upper secondary education. More than 65% of Swiss students are enrolled in pre-vocational or vocation programmes, compared with an OECD average of 44%. Around 93% of those enrolled participate in joint vocational programmes that combine work- and school-based elements. Funding for vocational education and training is provided by the Confederation, cantons and companies. 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Türkiye, about 48% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is much lower than the OECD employment average of 66%, and is the lowest rate in the OECD.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Türkiye, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 3.3%, much higher than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Turkish people earn per year on average much less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Türkiye, workers face an expected 13% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much higher than the OECD average of 5.1% and one of the highest in the OECD.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Women's participation in the labour market

Government subsidies for hiring female and younger workers, coupled with the increased need of families to secure second earner incomes in the global crisis, increased labour market participation among aged 25-54-year-old women from 29.3% in 2008 to 37.3% in 2012.

Traditionally, women have had very low labour force participation rates in Türkiye, reflecting shortcomings in human capital as 78% of the female working age population have less than high school education, 58% have primary education or less and 17% are illiterate.

However, between 2005 and 2012, female participation and employment in urban areas both increased by over 50%. About half of the increase in urban female employment was achieved by university-educated women, reflecting an increase in female higher education. Employment rates also improved for women with high school education and, more drastically, for women with less than high school education, whose participation rate rose from 11.7% in 2008 to 16% in 2012. Female employment increased more rapidly in services. Nevertheless, the expansion of manufacturing jobs has also been an important driver for women with less than high-school education.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In the United Kingdom, 75% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In the United Kingdom, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 0.9%, lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. People in the United Kingdom earn USD 47 147 per year on average, slightly less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In the United Kingdom, workers face an expected 3.3% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

 For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Helping at-risk students move from education to work

The Glasgow Youth Employment Partnership supports young people identified as at-risk in their penultimate year of compulsory education. The programme provides coaches who work with young people on a one to one basis. The young person will set goals and establish a programme of participation to move them towards a positive destination. Initially, this might involve small steps, but the aim is to move them into education, employment or training over a 24-week period. The young person receives an allowance of GBP 30 per week for participation and completion of the agreed steps.

The feedback and results of this initiative in Glasgow have been encouraging, with more participants and a higher rate of success than in other areas - 48% of the city's 601 participants have achieved positive outcomes as a result.

Partnerships for job creation

Training colleges in Nottingham work with local employers to match skills with demand. Central College Nottingham and Kia Motors UK have agreed to a long-term partnership to train future employees for the company's national dealership network. Over the duration of the partnership more than 700 apprentices will be trained, which is estimated to be worth over GBP 10 million to the local economy.

West Nottinghamshire has worked with employers in the corrugated paper industry (who are facing the challenge of an ageing workforce) to develop a flexible training programme. The programme incorporates the companies' in-house training programmes into apprenticeships leading to a Technical Certificate, which has been submitted for approval to the relevant awarding body. The pilot programme has resulted in one local company committing to this apprenticeship framework as part of their workforce development strategy with an intake of between 10-15 new apprenticeships per year.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In the United States, about 67% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is slightly higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In the United States, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 0.5%, much lower than the OECD average of 1.3%. 

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. People in the United States earn USD 69 392 per year on average, much more than the OECD average of USD 49 165 and the highest in the OECD.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In the United States, workers face an expected 4.2% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than than the OECD average of 5.1%.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Developing skills

Employer Resource Networks (ERNs) are a good example of a work-based training programme that links skills development with labour market demand. These networks grew out of two separate employer-led initiatives involving about 2 000 local employers to reduce turnover among low-wage workers and help achieve a community initiative to reduce poverty. The primary focus of the services offered is job retention followed by skill building. These networks include businesses and their employees, public human services and workforce development agencies, private non-profits, United Ways, and community colleges and vocational training organisations, and local, regional and national foundations. Though services are targeted to entry-level and low-wage workers, they are open to all employees as needed. ERNs provide industry-specific as well as general job skills and soft skills training. ERN Success Coaches work with employees on-site and have been found to be key to ERN success thanks to their lower caseload (about one-third of that of a public case worker), ensuring their ability to provide immediate and direct counselling and referrals to employees.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Latvia, about 72% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Latvia, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 2.2%, higher than the OECD average of 1.3%. 

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Latvians earn USD 29 876 per year on average, much less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Latvia, workers face an expected 6.3% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, higher than the OECD average of 5.1%.

Better Policies for Better Lives

The Youth Guarantee in Latvia

Following the experience of other EU countries, Latvia introduced a three-phase Youth Guarantee scheme in 2014, targeting people between the age of 15 and 29. The first stage focuses on active labour market policies aimed at unemployed youth. In the second stage, the state has developed “second chance” training programmes for low-skilled youth with the support of vocational education and training (VET) schools. The third stage promotes outreach activities to re-engage inactive youth.

To access support through the Youth Guarantee, participants register with the State Employment Agency or apply for “second chance” programmes at VET schools. The guarantee aims to provide each participant with a good quality employment offer, continued education, and an apprenticeship or traineeship within four months of registering. The majority of planned initiatives are supported by the European Social Fund and the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) of the European Commission.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being
• OECD Job Quality Database