International income and wealth researchers meet in Finland

The world's leading researchers of national income and income distribution will gather in Joensuu, Finland, for the 29th General Conference of the International Association for Research in Income and Wealth (IARIW) on 20-26 August 2006. The venue of the Conference, which will be attended by nearly 300 experts in the field from around 40 countries, will be the University of Joensuu. Statistics Finland is responsible for the practical arrangements of the Conference.

During the week, the Conference will address a variety of subjects relating to income and wealth with approximately 130 papers and discussions of experts. The topics include the measurement of wealth, international trade and monetary flows, productivity, output of the public sector, social differentiation, inequality and poverty. The Conference will also discuss revisions to the international recommendations on national accounts, improvement of survey estimations, ageing and demographic changes, and other concerns associated with welfare and income distribution.

On Tuesday, 22 August, one of the UK's most influential political economists, Sir Anthony Atkinson, (Warden, Nuffield College, Oxford University) will deliver a keynote lecture on the topic 'A longer run view of the earnings distribution'.

A detailed programme can be found on the association's website at: www.iariw.org. Information about practical arrangements is available on the Conference website at: www.stat.fi/iariw2006.

About IARIW

IARIW (International Association for Research in Income and Wealth) was founded in September 1947, in conjunction with a meeting of the International Statistical Institute. It held its first General Conference in Cambridge in 1949. Its major interests are furthering of research on national and economic and social accounting, including development of concepts and definitions for the measurement and analysis of income and wealth, and development and further integration of systems of economic and social statistics. In particular, the Association is concerned with the international aspects of these questions, such as international comparisons of income and wealth and the experiences of different countries in the development of economic and social accounting. IARIW functions as a discussion forum for academic and government scholars in the field of economic and social statistics from many countries.

IARIW has over 30 institutional members, in particular statistical organisations and universities, and approximately 400 individual members. The responsibility for the Association's activities rests with a Council comprised of 14 members. IARIW publishes a quarterly journal, Review of Income and Wealth.

Mass media are welcome to attend the Conference

Representatives of the mass media are welcome to the Conference to listen to the presentations and discussions of experts. Those interested should give advance notification about their attendance.

Further information about the programme, accommodation facilities and other practical arrangements is available from the contact persons named below. If required, they can also assist in organising interviews with experts and in providing material from the Conference.

Inquiries:
Conference programme: Eeva Hamunen, +358 9 1734 3385
Registration and practical arrangements: Raija Löfgren, +358 9 1734 2265, iariw2006@stat.fi