This event, organised by the OECD and the Government of Iceland, brought together experts with world-renowned athletes for an engaging discussion on gender equality and pay equity in sports, ahead of International Equal Pay Day. Speakers reflected on progress made so far, the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and practical approaches to ensuring fair pay for women athletes.

Talent shortages in the tech sector pose significant challenges for firms, workers and governments, hindering productivity, innovation, job satisfaction, and economic growth. Skills-first approaches to hiring can help fill labour shortages by prioritising specific skills over traditional qualifications, which helps expand talent pools and enables employers to adapt to evolving technological demands. This analysis also explores how governments, training providers and businesses can work together to maximise the benefits of short, targeted learning through micro-credentials. The report also advocates for inclusive initiatives that broaden the talent pool by addressing barriers faced by women, minorities, youth and migrants.

Recent shifts in the demand for skills reveal gaps and mismatches in global labour markets. Employers face challenges in finding candidates with relevant skills, while individuals struggle to identify and signal their skills effectively. A skills-first approach – one that promotes hiring based on skills rather than conventional educational or professional indicators – could be the answer, by simultaneously addressing inequalities like hiring bias and access to lifelong learning opportunities.   
 
Join the OECD Centre for Skills for a discussion about skills-first and the ongoing project “Beyond degrees: Empowering the workforce in the context of skills-first” in collaboration with LinkedIn.  

This article explores how carbon pricing affects households and discusses strategies to close social protection gaps. With rising interest in universal income support (also known as "basic income"), the piece highlights the balance between environmental goals and fair compensation for vulnerable groups. Discover how policy makers can use carbon revenues to support a just transition towards Net Zero.

Ireland has shown a strong commitment to addressing child poverty and improving outcomes for children and young people through significant reforms over the past decade. This report is part of a joint project between the OECD, the European Commission and Ireland to strengthen policy and governance arrangements in Ireland. It provides guidance for the development of a Monitoring and Evaluation system for Ireland’s new policy framework for children and young people (Young Ireland). 

Despite concerted efforts to curb global greenhouse gas emissions, the impacts of climate change are intensifying and economic damage from climate-related weather events is rising. Beyond extreme weather events that grab the news headlines, rising temperatures will have less visible but sizeable effects on human health, workers’ and firms’ productivity, and opportunities for upward mobility, ultimately affecting economic growth.

Ensuring equal access to the latest cancer medicines is one of the most pressing challenges facing OECD health systems today. Despite the emergence of new oncology drugs, disparities in patient access – particularly through clinical trials and early access programs – remain a critical issue. Rising costs are also straining even the most affluent healthcare systems, making affordability a concern for all. This paper examines various aspects of inequalities in access to cancer medicines, covering key stages in a medicine's life cycle, from marketing authorisation to reimbursement decisions and uptake in clinical practice. 

• The economics of diagnostic safety: Setting the scene
• Why do OECD countries offer tax relief programmes to attract foreign migrants and returning nationals?