Recovery taking shape in developed countries according to OECD. According to the most recent OECD Interim Economic Assessment, recovery is taking shape in the advanced economies but this is much more contrasting in emerging economies. Among the advanced economies, the recovery is well on its way in the US and United Kingdom but is more uneven in Japan and the euro-zone is lagging behind. In the emerging economies, which accounts for 60% of the world economy, some of the large economies are still experiencing rapid expansion, like China, while others are experiencing a slowdown. According to the OECD's forecasts, growth in the US is expected to be uneven and will reach 3.1% at an annual rate in the second quarter of 2014. This is due to extreme winter weather conditions in the first quarter of the year. These weather conditions had a similar effect in Canada where growth is expected to display similar irregular features in the first quarter before bouncing back to 2.4% in the second quarter. In Japan, the annual rate of growth is expected to reach 3.9%. The United Kingdom is expected to experience yearly growth of 3% in both the first and second quarters but the rate of growth in the euro zone, although improving, remains below the growth experienced in other advanced economies. Sharp disparities persist in Europe where the three main economies (Germany, France or Italy), examined as a whole, will record a sluggish 1.9% rate of growth in the first quarter and 1.4% in the second. Germany is expected to experience expansion of around 3.7% in annual terms during the first quarter and 2.5% in the second. The annual rate of growth in the French economy will be around 1%, whereas Italy will experience growth of below 1% in both the first and second quarters. (IL)