The gap between rich and poor around the world needs to be addressed, it is claimed.

A new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) proposes that the key to reducing this social chasm is ensuring that income inequality and poor levels of skills are tackled.

The research found that the gap has widened to levels not seen for more than three decades, with average income among the richest ten per cent globally currently around nine times that of the poorest ten per cent.

"Our report clearly indicates that upskilling of the workforce is by far the most powerful instrument to counter rising income inequality," secretary-general of the OECD Angel Gurria stated.

Entitled Divided We Stand: Why Inequality Keeps Rising, the report shows that nations often thought of as egalitarian such as Germany, Sweden and Denmark have also seen rising disparity, in addition to nations like the US, Italy, Japan, the UK and Turkey.

In related news, a global employment survey by Antal of more than 19,000 organizations in 52 countries has discovered that the professional and managerial jobs market is proving resilient to the uncertain economic climate and eurozone crisis.

Posted by Lee Thrace