Woman sitting at computer across from male co-worker
© Fatma Cankara /ILO

Employment promotion and decent jobs creation are central to enable countries to address the multiple transitions societies, economies and labour markets are undergoing around the world caused by climate change, demographic shifts and technological developments. Achieving the goal of full, productive, and freely chosen employment, tackling poverty and inequalities and ensuring an inclusive structural transformation is essential for making progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 8, and requires comprehensive employment policy frameworks that address both short- and longer-term impacts of such change.

This includes promoting pro-employment macroeconomic, sectoral and labour market policies that are critical to ensuring social, economic and environmental transitions. It also includes the creation of quality jobs in the green, circular, digital and care economies; multi-stakeholder engagement; social dialogue; and the strengthening of partnerships for coordinated, coherent and integrated policy responses, including through the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions. These are key solutions to strengthening productive capacities, creating more and better jobs and promoting formalization. Read more

News and articles

AU, ILO forge partnership for decent work & social justice
African Union and ILO officials at the partnership review meeting

Building a Stronger Africa

AU, ILO forge partnership for decent work & social justice

ILO Director-General launches new EU-backed project to strengthen labour market institutions in the Republic of Moldova, during first joint ILO-European Commission visit to the country
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Employment creation in Moldova

ILO Director-General launches new EU-backed project to strengthen labour market institutions in the Republic of Moldova, during first joint ILO-European Commission visit to the country

Latest events

Employment Academy

ITCILO course

Employment Academy

Focus areas

Employment intensive investments
Upland farming near Lake Sebu, Philippines

Employment intensive investments

Employment services
Employment services counsellor meeting with young woman

Employment services

Employment Impact Assessment
Auto assembly

Employment Impact Assessment

Investing in transitions for decent jobs
Hand tapping credit card on electronic device for payment

Investing in transitions for decent jobs

Publications

Integrated approaches for formalization in Asia and the Pacific

Integrated approaches for formalization in Asia and the Pacific

Formalization and simplified micro and small enterprise regimes: Towards reform of the Viet Nam household business legislation

Formalization

Formalization and simplified micro and small enterprise regimes: Towards reform of the Viet Nam household business legislation

New technologies, e-government and informality - epub

ILO Working paper 112

New technologies, e-government and informality - epub

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Robotic finger pointing upwards to blue sky with constellations
Podcast: Global Challenges - Global solutions

Podcast: Global Challenges - Global solutions

The Employment podcast series focuses attention on the impact of megatrends on labour markets worldwide and the emerging challenges and opportunities. They offer a human-centred approach to policymaking that help shift economies to a new and better future of work.

Featured projects

Building partnerships on the future of work
young persons looking at computer

Building partnerships on the future of work

Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work
men-in-field-tractor

Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work

Promoting decent employment for women through inclusive growth policies and investments in care
Promoting decent employment for women through inclusive growth policies and investments in care

Promoting decent employment for women through inclusive growth policies and investments in care

Skills for Trade and Economic Diversification (STED)
man-with-wire-net

Skills for Trade and Economic Diversification (STED)

Employment impact assessment to maximize job creation in Africa (STRENGTHEN2)
Crops being harvested by machine

Employment impact assessment to maximize job creation in Africa (STRENGTHEN2)

Mainstreaming Employment into Trade and Investment in the Southern Neighbourhood (METI)
Women pruning fruit trees

Mainstreaming Employment into Trade and Investment in the Southern Neighbourhood (METI)

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Canopy of trees - with Global Accelerator logo highlighted in lower corner
Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions

Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions

A UN initiative aiming to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and support the creation of decent jobs, primarily in the green, digital and care economies, and to extend social protection to people who are excluded. 

Key resources

Guiding principles for coherent, comprehensive and integrated employment policy

International Labour Conference.110/Resolution IV

Guiding principles for coherent, comprehensive and integrated employment policy

Key international labour standards on employment

International instruments

Key international labour standards on employment