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The Spanish economy is recovering from both the global financial crisis of 2008 and the sovereign debt crisis that affected the country in 2011. Following ten consecutive quarters of contraction, the economy started to rebound at the end of 2013 and is expected to grow by around 1.5 per cent in 2014. While this report welcomes the recent reductions in unemployment, it also highlights the importance of taking further action to ensure there are sustainable improvements in employment and social conditions: actions to nurture enterprise growth and economic diversification; a coherent set of measures to help jobseekers remain in the labour market, acquire new skills and obtain employment; balanced reforms that facilitate hiring and boost job quality; adequate social protection.

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The objective of this policy brief is to highlight ILO support for the engagement of social partners - employers' and workers' organizations - in skills development strategies; to provide examples of existing trade union engagement at the national, sectoral and enterprise levels; and to propose priority areas for workers' organizations as they engage in skills development in the future.

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Labour markets around the world are undergoing major transitions caused by future of work drivers, including climate change, demographic shifts, globalization and technological changes. In this context, both challenges and opportunities exist and the success of such transitions will depend on whether and how the structure of economies and labour markets around the world are transformed. The third recurrent discussion on the strategic objective of employment at the 110th Session of the International Labour Conference in 2022 provides an opportunity for the tripartite constituents of the International Labour Organization (ILO) to critically review the actions taken in Member States and by the Office, since the last recurrent item discussion held in 2014 [report available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 117.318], to assess the effectiveness of these actions and to consider options for the future. The discussion aims to provide an update on the progress made by the Office and Member States in terms of the implementation of comprehensive employment policy frameworks to ensure social justice and a fair globalization, as called for in the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization.

This background report consists of the following five parts. To set the stage, Chapter 1 reviews the impact of the future-of-work drivers and the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic on labour markets and the evolution of policy responses. Chapter 2 provides a conceptual framework for understanding the narrative that will lead to successful employment policy frameworks. It introduces a 'new generation of employment policies' and examines why such employment policies are key for inclusive structural transformation and why equality and inclusion matter for reaching the ultimate goals of poverty reduction and inclusive, human-centred societies. It discusses policy areas and provides examples of successful implementation. Chapter 3 analyses the progress made since the second recurrent discussion and attempts to outline what is required from the ILO to deliver even more effective services with regard to comprehensive employment policy frameworks. Chapter 4 summarizes the findings of the report.

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The edition takes stock of the current global labour market situation and includes a forecast of global unemployment levels. It assesses the most recent employment projects in emerging and developing economies, with detailed charts and numbers. The report also focuses on trends in job quality, paying particular attention to working poverty and vulnerable employment as well as the informal economy. It provides policy guidance to boost decent work opportunities around the globe.

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This publication reviews the global employment situation and examines how countries can develop the best training strategies to confront these developments and maximise the employment potential of their populations. Issues addressed include training strategies for national competitiveness, efficiency of enterprises and employment growth and targeted programmes for women, informal sector workers and vulnerable groups.

This book is also published in French. Show less

The new International Labour Office (ILO) 'Recommendation on human resources development: education, training and lifelong learning' (No. 195) was adopted by the International Labour Conference in June 2004. The Recommendation is a dynamic and comprehensive ILO international labour standard that will assist governments, employers and workers put into effect education, training and lifelong learning policies and programs for the 21st century. It places people at the centre of economic and social development. The Recommendation calls on member States to develop and implement education, training and lifelong learning policies that promote people's employability throughout their lives. Show less

Young Mongolians continue to experience difficulties in their journey towards the labour market. The 2014 labour force data reveals an unemployment rate of 17.4 per cent among young people. Many young Mongolians also experience a lengthy period of unemployment before finding a job. For those who are in work, many young people are often found in the informal economy, which absorbs over 90 per cent of rural working youth and nearly one third of urban youth. There is also evidence that despite greater educational attainment by young women, their prospects in the labour market remain limited. Moreover, young women often have lower wages and higher levels of occupational segregation than young men. Nonetheless, young men are also at risk. Young men from rural communities are more likely to enter the labour market early and thus face a long-term trajectory of informal and low-paid jobs.

These weak employment outcomes are all the more striking since they persisted even during previously substantial economic growth rates. This report has been developed to try to shed light on these difficult transitions to the labour market by examining the policy environment, identifying gaps and proposing recommendations to support Mongolian efforts to improve the employment prospects of its young people.

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When people with disabilities have access to training in skills which are relevant to the labour market and suited to their abilities and interests, they can make a significant contribution in the workplace and to the living standards of their households, the community and wider society. This is increasingly recognized as opportunities have opened up, in recent decades, both in training centres and in the open labour market. Yet in many countries, the potential of many disabled people remains untapped, as they frequently do not have equal access to training in employable skills, relevant to the labour market in which they seek to work, either in formal employment or in self-employment, or small businesses in the informal economy. What strategies have been successful in assisting some disabled people in finding decent jobs? What obstacles stand in the way of others? What policy measures are required to dismantle these barriers? These and related questions require attention in every country around the world. The ILO project, Skills Acquisition and Work for Persons with Disabilities in Southern Africa (indexed at TD/TNC 92.97) funded by the Government of Flanders, has sought to contribute to this debate through an exploratory assessment of skills acquisition strategies which have been introduced in African countries through technical cooperation projects over the past two decades. Working in collaboration with disabled persons' organizations (DPOs) in Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia, the project involved conducting pilot surveys of disabled people and compiling case studies of some of those who have attended training. This document reports on the findings of the ILO/Flanders project in Malawi, in the broader context of the legislation and policies in place. Focusing on examples of success and of obstacles faced, the document sets the scene for a discussion of the policy and programme steps needed in order to turn the goal of full inclusion with equality into a reality for all Malawians with disabilities. An initial discussion of the survey findings took place at a tripartite plus workshop, 'People with Disabilities - Pathways to Decent Work', in May 2006. The recommendations of the workshop participants are contained in the workshop report. This document, along with the workshop report, aims to contribute to the effective implementation of Malawian legislation and policy concerning persons with disabilities, and more broadly, to contribute to the achievement of the targets set in the Plan of Action of the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities. Both documents will hopefully contribute to setting the scene in Malawi for future implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, formally adopted in December 2006, if the Government of Malawi decides to ratify this Convention.

Excerpt from introduction reprinted by permission of the copyright owner.

See also the related document 'Strategies for skills acquisition and work for people with disabilities in Southern Africa: Zambia (indexed at TD/TNC 92.98). Show less

This report is the result of the collaborative efforts of the Green Jobs Initiative (which includes [United Nations Environment Programme] UNEP, [International Labour Organization] ILO, [International Organisation of Employers] IOE and [International Trade Union Confederation] ITUC) and the International Institute for Labour Studies of ILO. The report shows that the overuse of natural resources, such as forests, fish and clean water, and the rising levels of pollution, including emissions of greenhouse gases, are increasingly exceeding planetary boundaries. As a result, the natural processes and systems which are vital to the livelihoods of people are being disrupted. The damage to economies and to society caused by environmental degradation has the potential to undo many of the gains in development and poverty reduction achieved over the past decades. The report highlights that the green economy offers an opportunity to create decent work and improve social inclusion, if the right policy mix is put in place. The report explores the drivers of change and transmission channels for the shift to a green economy, and considers their implications for economic activity, employment growth and social outcomes, notably as regards to the key economic sectors. It also identifies successful policies and good practices, to ensure that the green economy is characterised by gains in job quality, reductions in poverty and improvements in social inclusion.

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Non-standard employment, including temporary work, part-time work, temporary agency work and other multi-party employment arrangements, disguised employment relationships and dependent self-employment, has become a contemporary feature of labour markets the world over. This report documents the incidence and trends of non-standard employment across different countries of the world and explores the reasons behind this phenomenon, including increased firm competition, shifting organizational practices of firms, and changes and gaps in the regulation of work. It assesses the implications for workers' pay, income security and other conditions of work, as well as the effects on firms, labour markets and society in general. The report reviews international, regional and national regulation of non-standard employment, identifying differences across countries as well as promising legislative responses for ensuring decent work. It also analyses other policy responses such as strengthening workers' organizations and collective bargaining, redesigning social protection systems, and further policies for addressing labour market governance. The ultimate objective is to provide guidance on practices that can help ensure worker protection, sustainable enterprises and well-functioning labour markets.

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