Artificial Intelligence is transforming “white-collar” jobs across various sectors. Our recent analysis highlights that workers in IT, management and engineering face the highest exposure to AI advances, while roles like cleaners and food preparation assistants remain largely unaffected.

Education plays a crucial role in understanding this exposure to AI. Workers with higher educational attainment are more likely to engage with AI technologies, which could deepen existing inequalities if not addressed. See new OECD analysis to learn how can we ensure that the transition to an AI-driven workforce is inclusive and equitable.

Healthcare systems across OECD countries are facing multiple challenges. Ageing populations, soaring costs, and evolving patient expectations are all placing greater strain on the health workforce, with burnout on the rise. AI could help manage some of this pressure, but there are risks. A new OECD survey shows that 94% of respondents expressed worries about ethical issues that may arise from AI applications in medical practice, and there are concerns about the impact on physicians' liability when using AI solutions. Despite these concerns, 72% of the medical associations surveyed believe that the benefits of AI in healthcare outweigh potential risks. By streamlining operations and reducing administrative burdens, AI can free up valuable time for healthcare professionals, allowing them to concentrate on what matters most – patient care.

Permanent migration to OECD countries hit a new record in 2023, with 6.5 million migrants arriving. The number of temporary migrants and asylum seekers has also risen sharply, according to a new OECD report.

Most of the 2023 increase in permanent-type migration was driven by family migration (+18%). Humanitarian migration (+20%) also rose. Permanent labour migration to OECD countries remained at a high level in 2023 with just under 1.2 million workers, as in 2022.

This year’s Outlook includes a special focus on immigrant entrepreneurship. Migrants represent a growing share of total entrepreneurs in OECD countries. In 2022, 17% of the self-employed in OECD countries on average were migrants, up from 11% in 2006.

The 2024 edition of Health at a Glance: Europe highlights two critical and interrelated challenges: addressing health workforce shortages and promoting healthy longevity to reduce pressures on health systems. In addition to these thematic chapters, the publication provides an overview of the latest available data on key aspects of health systems, including health status, risk factors, health spending, quality and access to care, and resilience across EU member states, EU candidate countries, EFTA countries and the United Kingdom.

Cancer causes one in four premature deaths in OECD countries. It damages people’s quality of life, their ability to work and their incomes. Cancer increases health expenditure and harms the economy through reduced labour force participation and productivity. The economic and social costs of cancer will grow as populations age and cancer treatment costs increase. Based on microsimulation modelling for 51 countries (including OECD, European Union and G20 countries), this report provides recommendations on how countries can tackle the impact of cancer on health, the economy and society. 

The OECD Youth Policy Toolkit aims to support policymakers by providing practical, concrete guidance for designing and executing youth policies for young people, featuring good practice examples from all 38 OECD countries. It covers diverse policy areas such as education and skills, employment and entrepreneurship, health and social inclusion, participation in public life, and intergenerational justice. The launch will bring together policymakers, young people, civil society and experts to discuss policies and practices in these areas, inspiring and encouraging innovation and reform within governments and beyond. The launch event is hosted by the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth.

This OECD and WHO publication will present a set of key indicators of health status, the determinants of health, healthcare resources and utilisation, healthcare expenditure and financing, and quality of care across 27 Asia/Pacific countries and territories. It will be launched during a webinar that will discuss the key findings from the report and the thematic analysis on “The burden of mental health in Asia/Pacific countries.”

Adopting a skills-first hiring approach – one that focusses on skills themselves rather than on how they have been acquired – can help employers access previously underutilised talent. Yet, although current skills shortages can act as a strong incentive for more firms to adopt a skills-first approach, organisations will need to make several changes in order to implement a successful skills-based culture. This OECD/The Adecco Group webinar will explore the workplace changes that are required to implement skills-first strategies.

Digital technologies affect many aspects of people’s well-being, from health, education and social connections to participation in the public and civic space. This calls for greater policy focus on how to protect people’s digital well-being. The OECD’s new Digital Well-being Hub, developed in collaboration with Cisco, enables you to explore and learn about the benefits and risks of digital technologies. The hub also allows you to tell us about your digital well-being. Help build stronger evidence to support policymakers in better understanding and strengthening people’s well-being in this fast-evolving digital world.