05/12/2011 - Huge regional variations in economic and social
conditions within a country require a rethink of the way
governments design policies to boost growth and jobs, says a new
OECD report. The economic crisis has hit some areas far harder
than others. The OECD’s first Regional Outlook calls on policy
makers to pay greater attention to regional factors such as
amenities, accessibility, size, infrastructure and demographics,
as well as industry specialisations and networks. The report
focuses on the need for good governance and coordination of
policy around these regional factors and rejects the idea that
governments should rely on budget transfers to reallocate
resources between rich and poor regions. Read the Secretary-
General's speech. Tailoring action to local conditions is
becoming increasingly important, not least because labour
mobility within many countries has been held back by the real-
estate crisis and a rise in the number of households facing
negative housing equity. Unemployment and job crea