PARIS, 03 August. - (ANA) - OECD job markets have remained resilient, with total employment in OECD countries at an all-time high and projected to continue to grow this year and next. 

 

However, real wages remain below their levels five years ago in around one-third of OECD countries, and this year’s energy shock is expected to put further pressure on wages. 

 

Having been at or below 5.0% for more than four years, the OECD-wide unemployment rate stood at 4.9% in May 2026 and is projected to remain near this low level through 2027.

 

This year’s edition also reveals large regional differences in labour market outcomes and that the place where people live shapes both their prospects for employment and their opportunities for moving up the income ladder. 

 

Unemployment rates in the 20% worst-performing regions are on average more than twice as high as in the 20% best-performing ones. People in lower-income regions also face weaker prospects for upward income mobility over time than those in higher-income regions.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/03 August 2026 - - -