The International Labour Organization (ILO) has stated that, despite the progress made in the fight against child labour in Latin America, labour informality is a pending issue in the region.

Guy Ryder, ILO director general, claimed that “this is the weak spot of the continent, and it is the issue we have to work hard on, as informality is also a cause for child labour”.

The number of children who are under this situation in Latin America and the Caribbean has gone down from 20 million in the year 2000 to nearly 11 million in 2017. However, Ryder states that Latin America still faces major challenges, as nearly half of the workforce in under informal conditions and six out of ten youngsters who access the labour market have an informal job.

He also believes that it is “quite positive” that certain countries in the continent have prioritize tackling informality.

There are several initiatives to decrease labour informality. Ratification of ILO Convention 181 on private employment agencies has proven to be a useful tool in 32 countries to train people on skills based on the demand, generate dynamic labour markets and create formal employment.