I. Economic Trends
Recently, the Korean economy has shown trends of consistent improvement in private consumption on the back of selective excise tax cuts and sustained growth in construction investment. However, employment conditions have deteriorated due to weak mining and manufacturing production resulting from a prolonged export slowdown and a negative turnaround in manufacturing employment.

II. Recent Local Employment Trends
As manufacturing employment has recently declined, employment conditions have worsened in some regions. Since the effects of restructuring have become reality, employment of male laborers as well as in the manufacturing sector has shrunk in Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province, and youth unemployment has sharply increased in Daegu and North Jeolla Province.

III. Measurement of Effective Corporate Tax Rate and Current Status
The effective corporate tax rate, an indicator of the actual tax burden borne by enterprises, can be calculated in various ways using several measures, such as income, taxable income, taxable income including taxes paid in foreign countries, and taxable income including taxes paid in foreign countries and local taxes. Today, a selective measure that suits the agent and purpose of analysis is used.

Ⅳ. Status and Tasks of Corporate R&D Support Budget
The effects of national R&D programs have been limited to some large companies in terms of corporate patent performance. The proportion of marginal companies has increased among the beneficiaries of R&D programs managed by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. As long-standing businesses among the recipients of R&D support in the shipbuilding, chemical, machinery, and other traditional manufacturing sectors have incurred increasing operating losses, an approach from the perspective of industrial restructuring is needed.


V. Post-COP21 Global Trends and Check Points for Ratification of Paris Agreement
Since the Paris Agreement on post-2020 global climate action was adopted, the international community has strived to shift to a low-carbon economy through scaling up clean energy in the global energy mix and R&D investment, as well as through enhanced investment in climate finance. As many countries are committed to ratifying the Paris Agreement early, the government needs to move quickly on its ratification to assume a leading role in the climate change agenda.