Global Unemployment Outlook – ILO Report 2024

  • January 13, 2024
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Global Unemployment Outlook – ILO Report 2024

Subject: IR

Section: International Organisation

  1. Projected Increase in Unemployment Rate:
    • The International Labour Organization (ILO) predicts a global unemployment rate of 5.2% in 2024, a slight increase from 5.1% in the previous year.
  2. Cause:
    • The main factor contributing to the rise is an increase in joblessness in advanced economies.
  3. Forecasted Unemployed Population:
    • The ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook report estimates a growth of 2 million unemployed people globally.
  4. Reasons for Modest Performance:
    • ILO attributes the anticipated modest fall in labour market performance to global economic deceleration.
  5. Post-Pandemic Recovery:
    • Despite a brief growth spurt during the post-pandemic recovery, overall labour productivity growth has returned to a low pace similar to the previous decade.
  6. Impact on Income and Wages:
    • Slow productivity growth periods can make real disposable income and wages susceptible to sudden price shocks.
  7. Employment Gains Across Countries:
    • While upper-middle-income countries may experience minimal employment gains in the coming years, low-income and lower-middle-income countries are expected to maintain robust job growth.
  8. Global Economic Deceleration:
    • The ILO emphasizes that the global economic slowdown is a contributing factor to the projected increase in the unemployment rate.

International Labour Organization (ILO) and its report

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that focuses on issues related to labour and employment.

It has published various reports covering a wide range of topics related to global labour markets, employment trends, and social issues.

Some of the key reports published by the ILO include:

  1. World Employment and Social Outlook (WESO):
    • The WESO report provides an in-depth analysis of global employment trends and social issues. It covers topics such as unemployment rates, income inequality, and the impact of economic trends on the labor market.
  2. Global Wage Report:
    • This report examines global wage trends, income disparities, and the factors influencing wage growth or decline. It provides insights into the challenges faced by workers in different parts of the world.
  3. ILO Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers:
    • Focusing on international migration, this report provides estimates and analysis of migrant workers globally. It covers aspects such as migration patterns, labor market integration, and the rights of migrant workers.
  4. World Social Protection Report:
    • The ILO’s social protection report assesses the status of social protection globally. It examines social protection policies, access to healthcare, and measures to address poverty and inequality.
  5. Global Employment Trends:
    • This report analyses emerging trends in the global labour market, including changes in employment rates, sectoral shifts, and the impact of technological advancements on jobs.
  6. ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the World of Work:
    • In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ILO has regularly published monitors providing updates on the impact of the pandemic on the world of work. It covers aspects such as job losses, policy responses, and recovery strategies.
  7. ILOSTAT:
    • ILOSTAT is the ILO’s statistical database, providing a wealth of labour-related statistics. It covers data on employment, unemployment, wages, and working conditions, among other indicators.

ILO Conventions

The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work was adopted in 1998, and it commits member states to respect and promote eight fundamental principles and rights in four categories, irrespective of whether they have ratified the relevant conventions.

These principles and rights are as follows:

  1. Freedom of Association and The Right to Collective Bargaining:
    • Convention 87: Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize.
    • Convention 98: Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining.
  2. Elimination of Forced or Compulsory Labour:
    • Convention 29: Forced Labour Convention.
    • Convention 105: Abolition of Forced Labour Convention.
  3. Abolition of Child Labour:
    • Convention 138: Minimum Age Convention.
    • Convention 182: Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention.
  4. Elimination of Discrimination in Respect of Employment and Occupation:
    • Convention 100: Equal Remuneration Convention.
    • Convention 111: Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention.

These fundamental conventions form an integral part of the United Nations Human Rights Framework, and their ratification signals member states’ commitment to human rights. Unfortunately, as of now, 48 member states, including those with the highest populations, have yet to complete ratification of all eight conventions.

The eight-core conventions of the ILO are crucial in the face of global economic challenges, contributing to the welfare and livelihood of workers worldwide.

India and ILO Scenario:

  • India, as a founding member of the ILO, has been a permanent member of the ILO Governing Body since 1922.
  • The first ILO Office in India was established in 1928, marking decades of productive partnership grounded in mutual trust, respect, and the building of sustained institutional capacities.
  • India has ratified six out of the eight-core/fundamental ILO conventions, covering various aspects such as forced labour, child labour, and discrimination. However, it has not ratified two conventions related to freedom of association and collective bargaining (Convention No. 87 and No. 98).
  • The non-ratification of Conventions No. 87 and 98 is attributed to certain restrictions imposed on government servants, including the right to strike, openly criticize government policies, accept financial contributions, and join foreign organizations.

Convention No. 144 of the International Labour Organization (ILO) is known as the “Convention on Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards).”

This convention was adopted in 1976 and emphasizes the application of a fundamental principle on which the ILO was founded, which is tripartite social dialogue in the development and implementation of international labor standards.

Convention No. 144 of the ILO reflects the organization’s commitment to tripartite social dialogue as a means to develop and implement international labor standards. Tripartism is seen as a cornerstone for promoting cooperation, inclusivity, and consensus-building in addressing labor-related issues on a global scale.

Global Unemployment Outlook - ILO Report 2024 IR