Rural and urban labour markets: Different challenges for promoting decent work

This issue of Spotlight on Work Statistics explores the rapid urbanization observed in the world and the accompanying shifts in employment from agriculture to non-agricultural activities. It sheds light on differences between rural and urban areas in labour force participation and labour underutilization (and especially unemployment). It also attempts to reveal differences in the quality of employment in rural and urban areas.

How COVID-19 is changing the world: a statistical perspective

This report, launched by 36 international organizations under the aegis of the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities, provides a snapshot of some of the latest information available on how COVID-19 is affecting different aspects of public and private life. It also provides a glimpse into the challenges facing national statistical offices at the moment. At a time when statistics are most needed, many statistical systems are struggling to compile basic statistics, highlighting once again the need to invest in data and statistics, and the importance of having modern national statistical systems and data infrastructure.

Education pays off, but you have to be patient

The educational level of the world’s labour force is increasing, but it is not always easy for highly educated workers to find jobs matching their expectations. This Spotlight on Work Statistics explores the advantages and disadvantages of having a tertiary degree in the labour market.

From school to work: An analysis of youth labour market transitions

This brief presents an analysis of youth labour market outcomes, with a particular focus on two new school-to-work transition indicators published on ILOSTAT. It first introduces the new indicators. It then analyses the distribution of youth by stages of transition across a set of 60 countries for which the ILO has derived indicators from national labour force survey microdatasets.

Persons outside the labour force: How inactive are they really?

Inactivity rates are increasing around the world, while the global population and labour force are ageing. But the inactivity rate is an aggregate measure overlooking the different profiles of people outside the labour force. This Spotlight on Work Statistics explores the characteristics of the potential labour force, made up of persons outside the labour force with an attachment to the labour market.

Time to Act for SDG 8 : Integrating Decent Work, Sustained Growth and Environmental Integrity

The report seeks to improve understanding of SDG 8 at the empirical, conceptual and policy levels by: (a) charting empirical progress towards the 12 targets under SDG 8 and comparing performance across country income groups; (b) developing a conceptual mapping of dynamic interlinkages between SDG 8 targets and specific targets under other SDGs, and exploring on that basis major patterns of achievement in the various world regions; and (c) describing a positive spiral of policy interventions and institutional support that can enable countries to achieve SDG 8 by 2030.

The working poor... or how a job is no guarantee of decent living conditions

This issue of ILOSTAT’s Spotlight on work statistics focuses on employed people living in extreme poverty around the world. Using ILO’s global estimates of employment by economic class, it shows the great progress achieved during the last few decades in reducing working poverty in the world, and how more effort is still needed to completely eradicate it, particularly considering the strong regional disparities.

Labour market access - a persistent challenge for youth around the world

The fifth issue of our series Spotlight on work statistics uses the first ever global estimates of youth not in employment, education or training along with other youth labour market indicators to explore the situation of youth in labour markets around the world, and unveil the additional challenges they face.

ILO Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers – Results and Methodology

This report gives global and regional estimates, broken down by income group, gender and age. It also describes the data, sources and methodology used, as well as the corresponding limitations. The report seeks to contribute to the 2018 Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and to achieving SDG targets 8.8 and 10.7.

Global Wage Report 2018/19: What lies behind gender pay gaps

The 2018/19 edition analyses the gender pay gap. The report focuses on two main challenges: how to find the most useful means for measurement, and how to break down the gender pay gap in ways that best inform policy-makers and social partners of the factors that underlie it.