Equal pay for work of equal value: where do we stand in 2023?
Despite some progress, gender wage gaps persist and are even widening in some occupations. Gender wage gaps are not primarily attributable to differences in educational attainment, and in general do not narrow but rather often increase with age.
African youth face pressing challenges in the transition from school to work
More than 72 million youth in Africa are not in education, employment or training – the majority of them young women. Tackling youth inactivity and gender inequalities is essential if countries are to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 8 on decent work for all by 2030.
International Classification of Status in Employment (ICSE-18) manual
A resolution adopted at the 20th ICLS includes a new international classification of status in employment (ICSE-18). This manual describes the revised classification, how it differs from the previous version, and how to implement it in a household survey.
Youth skills: tackling challenges and seizing opportunities for a brighter future of work
Leveraging the ILO’s microdata, an analysis of global labour market and occupational trends highlights strategies to strengthen skills development and boost the competitiveness, agility, and resilience of youth.
Micro and small enterprises: engines of job creation
Leveraging data from the ILO Harmonized Microdata collection, we take a deep dive to scope out micro and small enterprises around the world, to uncover industries where these job creators are rapidly growing and, with adequate support, can make a substantial contribution to decent work outcomes in the context of a just transition.
Nurses and midwives: overworked, underpaid, undervalued?
May marks both International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day – two groups of workers that play essential roles in any healthcare system. However, both professions – which are dominated by women – are characterised by long hours and low pay. So, what can be done to improve working conditions and help nurses and midwives deliver the best quality care to patients?
Beyond the numbers: exploring the relationship between collective bargaining coverage and inequality
Collective bargaining plays a key role in promoting decent work and improving working conditions. But what does the ILO’s industrial relations data show regarding the relationship between collective bargaining coverage, trade union density, and outcomes for workers? How can we assess the impact on workers’ lives?
ILO data highlights need for disability disaggregated labour force surveys and investment in data systems
Data on labour market disparities between persons with and without disabilities are essential to inform transformative policymaking and programming. Yet, analysis of ILOSTAT datasets reveal that many countries do not collect population-level data on disability status, hampering efforts to disaggregate labour market indicators. Investment in national data systems is needed to advance disability inclusion. This blog focuses on Africa, where we see progress toward more inclusive data systems in many countries, but gaps remain.
Assessing the current state of the global labour market: implications for achieving the Global Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 global goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. But with the COVID-19 pandemic upending the global labour market in recent years, progress towards achieving these goals has been disrupted. From rising unemployment and informal work to slowing productivity growth and persistent gender inequalities, the pandemic has highlighted the need for urgent action to build a more resilient and equitable world of work.
New data shine light on gender gaps in the labour market
A new indicator developed by the ILO finds that women’s access to employment, working conditions and pay gap have barely improved in the past two decades.