Product market regulation in services sectors remains restrictive

Unit labour costs have adjusted more than prices in Southern euro area countries

Catching up in productivity has slowed down

Long term unemployment has been an issue already prior to the downturn

Countries with high tax wedges tend to have lower average hours worked

The use of early retirement schemes since the start of the global financial crisis

Productivity has hardly kept pace with best performers

Influence of socio-economic and cultural background on student reading performance

Outstanding educational attainment of women but not employment rates in Japan and Korea

Some EMEs have strict employment protection legislation, high minimum wages

Reform activity in structural policies

Budgetary consolidation requirements to reduce government debt to 60% of GDP

The narrowing of external imbalances is in part due to cyclical factors

Bottom income deciles have taken a hit in the crisis

Policy actions related to Going for Growth recommendations with impact on other policy objectives