What universal child care does for Norway

[marmar]

(Globe and Mail) Norway is ranked No. 1 in the world for productivity, measured by GDP per total hours worked, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Canada comes 17th, behind Spain.

Many variables affect productivity, and Norway’s high oil production contributes significantly to its GDP, and therefore productivity.

“However, even after controlling for the rent (profits) from natural resources, Norway has high productivity. And more importantly, our relative productivity has increased a lot from the early 1990s to 2011, even after adjusting for natural resource rents,” explains Adne Cappelen, an economist at Statistics Norway.

Mr. Cappelen attributes Norway’s high productivity to four main factors:

1. A more educated work force, largely enabled by free university tuition;

2. Outsourcing low-wage, low-productivity labour;

3.Maximizing participation in the work force for skilled workers, (providing social support and flexible work for seniors and new parents);

4. Equal distribution of income.

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The complete piece is at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/canada-competes/what-universal-child-care-does-for-norway/article11959366/

[winter is coming]

1. Interesting. Thanks. n/t

[phantom power]

2. sadly, our politics isn't driven at all by observing what works

it's more driven by some kind of warmed over mash-up of Calvinism and Hobbesianism. And unfortunately I don't mean the Bill Watterson comic.