Economic recovery spreads but growth in employment still lagging. - According to the annual employment report published by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on 7 July, the economic crisis is continuing to impact on the global employment market. Economic recovery may be spreading and becoming stronger, but growth in employment is still lagging behind. In the first quarter of 2010, employment in the OECD area fell by 2.1% over two years and the level of unemployment more than doubled to 8.7%, equivalent to an increase of 17 million people seeking employment. However, a broader measure of unemployment, taking into account people who have given up looking for work or are working part-time but want to work full-time, rises to a figure of almost double the official unemployment rate. Recent data tend to suggest that unemployment has perhaps reached its high point in OECD countries and the latest forecasts have revised economic prospects for this current year and next upwards. The latest forecasts still suggest that the level of unemployment in OECD countries would still rise beyond 8% by the end of 2011. (I.L./transl.rt)