OECD Economic Surveys Slovak Republic 2017 [Paperback]

Slovakias economy continues to perform extremely well both in terms of macroeconomic outcomes and public financesSlovakias economy continues to perform extremely well both in terms of macroeconomic outcomes and public finances. Employment is rising, prices have been stable, and the external account is near balance. Poverty and income inequality are low, and the countrys environmental footprint has improved markedly. However, population ageing, projected to be one of the steepest in the OECD on the basis of the expected change in the old-age dependency ratio, will pose policy and social challenges in the decades ahead. They will be compounded by the persistent emigration of young, particularly educated people, as well as the weak integration of the numerous Roma. Other concerns are the work disincentives faced by women and high long-term unemployment. Widely different labour market outcomes between Bratislava and the eastern part of the country also contribute to large regional per capita GDP gaps and a dual functioning of the economy. The authorities have continued their reform process over the last few years to address these issues, which require improving public-sector efficiency. Making growth more inclusive for the Roma, women and the chronically unemployed will require further reforms in education, health care and the labour market, along with better infrastructure.The OECD is an international organization that consists of 30 Member countries from the developed world that accept the principles of representative democracy and free market economy. It originated in 1948 as the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) to help administer the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. Later its membership was extended to non-European states, and in 1961 it was reformed into the OECD. The organization provides a forum where governments can compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practice and colƒ&