The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development warned that a protracted slump in corporate capital spending is jeopardising the world economy’s expansion. Business investment in most advanced economies has failed to return to pre-financial-crisis trends and was further curtailed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Paris-based body said in its latest assessment. Median net investment across OECD members has slid to 1.6% of GDP from about 2.5% before 2008, underscoring a persistent shortfall in funds allocated to machinery, research and other productivity-enhancing assets. Only a handful of countries, including Israel and Portugal, have managed to lift investment back toward historic norms, the report found. The OECD cautioned that without a rebound in corporate spending, the global economy risks slower productivity growth, weaker job creation and limited progress on the energy transition. It urged governments to bolster policy certainty and improve access to finance to encourage companies to step up long-term outlays.