Labour market policies and institutions
 
 
 
 
Earlier year
Latest year
Latest year
Unit
(earlier, latest years)
OECD-Total
 
Public expenditure on labour market policies
 
 
 
 
 
Active measures
% of GDP
(1999, 2008)
1.3
 
0.8
 
0.6
 
 
Passive measures
% of GDP
(1999, 2008)
2.1
 
1.1
 
0.8
 
 
Ratio of minimum to median wage
Ratio
(1999, 2008)
..
 
..
 
0.46
 
 
Employment protection (EP)
 
 
 
 
 
Overall EP strictness
Scale 0-6
(1998, 2008)
2.6
 
2.4
 
2.1
 
 
EP strictness for regular employment
Scale 0-6
(1998, 2008)
2.7
 
3.0
 
2.1
 
 
EP strictness for temporary employment
Scale 0-6
(1998, 2008)
2.0
 
1.3
 
1.8
 
 
Additional requirements for collective dissmissals
Scale 0-6
(1998, 2008)
3.8
 
3.8
 
3.0
 
 
Labour taxes
(for a single person without children)
 
 
 
 
 
At 100% of the average wage
% of labour costs
(2000, 2008)
54.0
 
52.0
 
37.4
 
 
At 67% of the average wage
% of labour costs
(2000, 2008)
48.6
 
47.3
 
33.5
 
 
Unemployment benefits
% of previous earnings
(1997, 2007)
25.7
 
23.7
 
24.7
 
 
Union membership
% of employees
(1997, 2007)
27.0
 
19.9
 
..
 
Last updated: 6 July 2010
Note:  Next update: June 2011. OECD unweighted average.
Source: OECD Employment Outlook, for most of the above indicators. For further details, see: sources, definitions and related studies.