Labour Market and Intervention Policies During COVID-19: A Comparison Within Some OECD Countries

In this chapter, we aim to provide a comparative analysis of the different measures taken by selected OECD countries. In adopting the various policies put in place, the countries selected were keen to adopt concerted labour market policies. Policy coordination has been particularly important in countries such as France and Germany. Others, such as Canada and the United States, had to create new mechanisms to support jobs during the pandemic. However, most OECD countries were able to build on existing mechanisms to support job retention in the labour market. The results of these mechanisms and measures also point to differentiated effects on the labour market for different categories of workers. The data show that significant gaps are now appearing on the labour market to the detriment of less-educated workers. Vulnerable groups, such as young people and women, have also seen their situation on the labour market deteriorate considerably during the pandemic.