The Human Capital Report released Tuesday by the World Economic Forum gauged 122 countries in terms of education, employment, “enabling environment” and health. It was the first report of its kind and interesting because of the way it ranked countries based on how well they treat their workers. The top region was North Europe and the top country? Well, spoiler alert: It’s not the United States. But what can Americans learn from these list-toppers about how to foster a healthy workforce?
(Photo credit: World Economic Forum)
Switzerland ranked first in terms of employee health and wellness. Yemen last. And Northern Europe was the top-ranked region in the study. After Switzerland, the top countries were Finland, Singapore, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom, Denmark and Canada. Evidently, the U.S., which ranked 16th on the list, needs to step up its game.
The study was designed to show countries how they measure up globally, Saadia Zahidi, the guy in charge of the Human Capital project, told the Wall Street Journal.
“The project stemmed from conversations about the global jobs problem – particularly youth unemployment and regional skills gaps – and how countries can better invest in current and future workers,” Brenda Cronin writes for WSJ.
Researchers looked at life-long investment in a person from birth to death in things like early childhood education, healthcare access and training throughout their career. They investigated data like employment rates, academic enrollment, life expectancies, business surveys and infant mortality rates.
“The key for the future of any country and any institution lies in the talent, skills, and capabilities of its people,” executive chairman Klaus Schwab writes in the WEF’s Human Capital Report. “By providing a comprehensive framework for benchmarking human capital, the Report highlights countries that are role models in investing in the health, education, and talent of their people and providing an environment where these investments translate into productivity for the economy.”
Here’s a link to the original report.
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