On 18 May 2016 the International Labour Organization (ILO) published the “World Employment and Social Outlook 2016: Transforming jobs to end poverty”. The report offers an in-depth analysis on how several factors, like income inequality and the availability of quality jobs in developing and developed countries, have influenced poverty and it provides policy recommendations to end poverty to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Among the key findings, the report shows that:

• Poverty has tended to decline in many emerging and developing countries, whereas it has tended to increase in the majority of advanced economies, including in terms of working poverty.
• Over 36% of the emerging and developing world live in poverty – on a daily income of less than US$ 3.10 purchasing power parity (PPP).
• In order to eradicate poverty by 2030, around 10 Trillion USD are required, this can be achieved through the creation of more and better jobs.

The report key recommendations to end poverty include:

• Creation of better quality jobs;
• Strengthening rights at work and enable employer and worker organisations to reach the poor;
• Alleviating poverty through well-designed employment and social policies;
• Reinforcing governments’ capacity to implement poverty-reducing policies and standards;
• Boosting resources and making the rich aware of their responsibility;
• Involving the ILO in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.

The report points out that “the establishment of public or private employment services are central to deliver skills development policies and in realising the right to work”.

The International Confederation of Private Employment Services (Ciett) has highlighted several contributions the report makes, such as the recognition that “ILO Convention N°181 on Private Employment Agencies, has provisions to protect workers employed via private employment agencies and as such they do not run the risk of encountering poor working conditions.”

Another key point of the report is that it acknowledges that “private employment services can complement the public ones, in ways that facilitate the achievement of decent work goals.”

In conclusion, among other contributions, the report the report discusses the role of international labour standards in reducing poverty and inequality and documents the key role of private employment services in delivering quality jobs as a means to fight poverty and informality.

You can access the full report by clicking here.

Source: Ciett