Employment policy in international comparison

How can unemployment be combated successfully?
Which factors promote economic growth?
How competitive is Germany compared to other countries?

The Bertelsmann Stiftung's International Business Site Ranking compares the development of the 21 most important industrial nations in the target areas of the labor market and growth. The objective of this analysis, conducted by Prof. Ulrich van Suntum of the University of Münster on behalf of the Bertelsmann Stiftung, is to discern differences in countries' success with employment and growth policy and to identify key influencing factors that are responsible for these differences. To this end, a Success Index and an Activity Index are calculated on the basis of the latest OECD data for each of the 21 countries. The International Business Site Ranking therefore represents an advance in content and methodology vis-à-vis the Bertelsmann Stiftung's International Employment Ranking, which the foundation had been publishing every other year for the last 10 years, and will replace it from now on.

The Success Index provides information about the country's current situation in terms of its employment situation and economic growth. The Activity Index addresses the most important factors behind these two dimensions. It measures and evaluates the specific steps the country has taken to influence the target dimensions. Both indices are complemented by detailed comments on the latest developments in economic, financial, collective bargaining and labor market policy, allowing the International Business Site Ranking to identify successful strategies and tools for greater employment and economic growth.

The study includes the following:

• the countries' rankings on the Success Index and the Activity Index
• econometric evaluation of the latest OECD data
• presentation of the latest developments in economic, financial, collective bargaining and labor market policy
• identification of successful strategies and tools to fight unemployment and achieve economic growth
• comparative country studies that analyze specific issues of employment and growth policy.