(06 October 2014) – According to a new OECD study, living standards continue to diverge within many economically advanced countries as poorer regions struggle to catch up with richer ones.
Half of the 34 OECD countries have seen the income gap between their best-off and worst-off regions widen since the 2008 crisis, according to new OECD research. The OECD Regional Outlook 2014 shows that in 10 OECD countries, over 40% of the national rise in unemployment since the crisis was concentrated in one region.
Some of the starkest income inequalities show up in big cities. The OECD recommends better management of urban areas, where two in three people live, as a way to improve prosperity and reduce inequalities.
A second report, How’s Life in Your Region, reveals big differences in overall well-being among 362 regions within OECD countries by examining areas ranging from air quality and life expectancy to per-capita income, employment and Internet access.