Social Policies

About Statistics Publications & Documents Information by Country

Social policies affect people at different stages of their lives and have to address a range of issues: child-development, combining family and work responsibilities, social benefits and disability policies for periods out of work, spells of poverty (more generally income distribution), and pension policies for today's workers. In all areas, taking a gender perspective is an important for policy design.

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Income inequality and poverty rising in most OECD countries

21-Oct-2008

Income gaps have widened over the past two decades in three-fourths of OECD countries. In today’s changing world economy, that means ever more people at risk of being left behind. According to Secretary-General Angel Gurria, “Ensuring growth for all, not just the rich, is the task we must set for ourselves.” Governments need not sit on the sidelines: they should respond to income inequality with policies that help lift people up.

Modernising Social Policy for the New Life Course

14-Feb-2008

For decades, social policy interventions were limited to assist and insure against a limited number of well-defined risks. However, the social order based on standard employment relations, the male breadwinner model and social security in defined but exceptional circumstances, has changed.

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