Economic Growth

Can we predict recessions using only unemployment data? Applying the Sahm rule to OECD countries

5 minute readThe accurate and early identification of economic turning points is a longstanding challenge. While in some countries, recession periods are formally determined by business cycle committees – as is the case in the United States – these processes are complex and often take considerable time to conclude. Yet policymakers, economists and financial market participants require more timely signals of shifting economic conditions to support effective and well-informed decision-making.

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Featured

MNE-thing is possible: New OECD-UNSD data release strengthens open evidence on multinational enterprises

5 minute readMultinational enterprises (MNEs) play an increasingly central role in the global economy. They influence trade patterns, investment flows, and production across countries, yet their complex organisational structures can be difficult to map out using traditional statistical sources. The Multinational Enterprise Information Platform (MEIP) was developed to help address this challenge by offering a clearer view of large MNEs and the cross-border networks through which they operate.

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Featured

The Re-Export Puzzle: How the OECD addresses the largest source of distortion in merchandise trade statistics

7 minute readInternational trade statistics offer a picture of trade flows between countries and play a critical role in shaping economic policy, guiding trade negotiations, and supporting evidence-based research and decision-making. These statistics are reported from two different perspectives: that of the exporter and that of the importer. Users expect the two numbers to match but this is not always the case. Addressing them is essential for achieving a coherent and accurate view of international trade.

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Featured, Trade

MNE-thing is possible: New OECD-UNSD data release strengthens open evidence on multinational enterprises

5 minute readMultinational enterprises (MNEs) play an increasingly central role in the global economy. They influence trade patterns, investment flows, and production across countries, yet their complex organisational structures can be difficult to map out using traditional statistical sources. The Multinational Enterprise Information Platform (MEIP) was developed to help address this challenge by offering a clearer view of large MNEs and the cross-border networks through which they operate.

read more
Featured, Trade

The Re-Export Puzzle: How the OECD addresses the largest source of distortion in merchandise trade statistics

7 minute readInternational trade statistics offer a picture of trade flows between countries and play a critical role in shaping economic policy, guiding trade negotiations, and supporting evidence-based research and decision-making. These statistics are reported from two different perspectives: that of the exporter and that of the importer. Users expect the two numbers to match but this is not always the case. Addressing them is essential for achieving a coherent and accurate view of international trade.

read more
Economic Growth, Economic indicators, Featured

Can we predict recessions using only unemployment data? Applying the Sahm rule to OECD countries

5 minute readThe accurate and early identification of economic turning points is a longstanding challenge. While in some countries, recession periods are formally determined by business cycle committees – as is the case in the United States – these processes are complex and often take considerable time to conclude. Yet policymakers, economists and financial market participants require more timely signals of shifting economic conditions to support effective and well-informed decision-making.

read more
Economic indicators, Featured, Labour Productivity, Productivity

OECD Dashboard on Gender Gaps: Ihr Land im internationalen Vergleich

4 minute readAm 18. September 2025, dem International Equal Pay Day bzw. „Internationalen Tag für gleiches Entgelt“, hat die OECD ein neues Tool vorgestellt, mit dem sie die globalen Anstrengungen zur Beseitigung geschlechtsspezifischer Ungleichheiten unterstützt: das OECD Dashboard on Gender Gaps. Dieses Tool ist mehr als eine Datenbank – es ist ein Aufruf zum Handeln, ein Spiegel anhaltender Ungleichheiten und ein Kompass für Reformen. Das OECD Dashboard on Gender Gaps liefert international vergleichbare Daten zu allen OECD-Ländern, um eine bessere Beobachtung und Messung der Fortschritte auf dem Weg zur Geschlechtergleichstellung zu ermöglichen.

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Featured, National Accounts

How important is the automotive industry in OECD countries? Insights from supply and use tables

5 minute readSupply and use tables (SUTs) are an integral part of the national accounts. This article aims to highlight the richness contained within SUTs by profiling the automotive industry, which stands out due to its reliance on extensive supply chains, looking at issues such as the relative importance of the automotive industry in countries, the extent to which the industry is driving exports and is dependent on imports, and the impacts of trade and transport margins as well as taxes and subsidies on product prices.

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Economic indicators, Featured, Labour Productivity, Productivity

OECD Dashboard on Gender Gaps: How does your country compare?

4 minute readAs the world marks International Equal Pay Day on 18 September 2025, the OECD is proud to unveil a new tool in the global effort to close gender gaps: the OECD Dashboard on Gender Gaps. This initiative is more than a data repository – it is a call to action, a mirror of persistent inequalities, and a roadmap for reform. The OECD Dashboard on Gender Gaps provides internationally comparable data covering all OECD countries to strengthen the monitoring and tracking of progress towards gender equality.

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Economic indicators, Featured, Labour Productivity, Productivity

Tracking productivity trends amid economic headwinds: insights from the latest OECD data

5 minute readProductivity growth is central to economic development and competitiveness. The OECD Compendium of Productivity Indicators 2025 offers a comprehensive snapshot of productivity trends, focusing on key components like capital and labour inputs. In this blog post, we unpack the key findings for 2023 and 2024 and reflect on the way ahead.

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Climate Change, Environment, Featured, Productivity

Mind the gap: Accounting for Emissions in Productivity Measurement

5 minute readProductivity is a key driver of economic growth and competitiveness. As such, internationally comparable indicators of productivity are central for assessing economic performance. One widely used productivity measure is multifactor productivity (MFP), which traditionally captures the efficiency with which an economy converts labour and produced capital, such as machines and buildings, into output. However, conventional MFP metrics disregard negative externalities of production, including greenhouse gas and other pollutant emissions, and neglect the use of natural capital, such as minerals.

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