Thematic analysis and practical advice

In focus

  1. Social Protection Monitor on COVID-19
  2. COVID-19 Enterprises Resources
  3. COVID-19 and employment policies
  4. COVID-19 and Social Dialogue
  5. COVID-19 and International Labour Standards
  1. A majority working in the shadows: A six-country opinion survey on informal labour in sub-Saharan Africa

    15 September 2022

    Most workers in sub-Saharan Africa are informally employed, which often leaves them without access to health care and social protection.

  2. Supporting decent work and the transition towards formalization through technology-enhanced labour inspection

    21 October 2021

  3. Prevention and mitigation of Covid-19 in the informal economy through safety and health: An action-oriented tool for supporting street and market vendors

    14 October 2021

    This tool is addressed to the public authorities, workers’ and employers’ organizations, informal economy organizations and other stakeholders, who are willing to help street and market vendors improve their safety and health conditions to prevent the risk of contagion and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 at work.

  4. An ILO roadmap for a human-centred recovery from COVID-19

    06 October 2021

    What measures are needed to achieve a recovery from the COVID-19 crisis that is inclusive, sustainable and resilient? Find out more about the ILO roadmap to convert the moral and political aspiration of leaving no one behind into concrete action, in this new InfoStory.

  5. Indigenous peoples can help build a ‘better future’

    10 August 2021

    9 August is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. They have been hard hit by the COVID-19 crisis but are key partners in building a ‘better normal’ that respects their rights and ensures access to decent work.

  6. Tourism: An opportunity to rethink the future of the industry

    04 May 2021

    Tourism has been among the hardest hit of all sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic. Women, youth, and workers in the informal economy are the most at risk from tourism sector job losses and business closures. Building back better from the COVID-19 pandemic represents an opportunity to rethink the future of the tourism sector, including how it contributes to the lives of 300 million workers worldwide.

  7. Social Protection Spotlight COVID-19

    21 January 2021

    The COVID-19 crisis has emphasized the importance of guaranteeing access to at least essential health care and to basic income security for all over the life cycle, as stipulated in the Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202).

  8. Minimum wages are key for a human-centred recovery from COVID-19

    02 December 2020

    The new ILO Global Wage Report 2020-2021 examines the evolution of real wages around the world, giving a unique picture of wage trends globally and by region. It shows that adequate minimum wages are key for a human-centred recovery from COVID-19 and beyond.

  9. The role of social dialogue and the social partners in addressing the consequences of COVID-19 in the informal economy

    29 October 2020

  10. Building back better for women: Women's dire position in the informal economy

    15 September 2020

  11. Answering key questions around informality in micro and small enterprises during the COVID-19 crisis

    14 September 2020

  12. Social Protection Spotlight COVID-19

    04 September 2020

    The COVID-19 crisis and its economic and social impacts are particularly harsh for workers in the informal economy and their families. Almost 1.6 billion informal workers are affected by the lockdown and containment measures and/or are working in the hardest-hit sectors.

  13. The role of Cooperatives and SSE in the COVID-19 response

    03 July 2020

    Cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy (SSE) enterprises around the world are being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In responding to this crisis, they have provided essential assistance to their members, adapted their services, connecting people in need of support with local governments and social partners.

  14. Employers and workers negotiating measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, protect livelihoods and support recovery: A review of practice

    03 July 2020

  15. Impact of the COVID-19 crisis on loss of jobs and hours among domestic workers

    15 June 2020

    The ILO estimates that, in the early stages of the pandemic, on 15 March 2020, 49.3% of domestic workers were significantly impacted. This figure peaked at 73.7% on 15 May, before reducing to 72.3% on 4 June.

  16. The COVID-19 response: Getting gender equality right for a better future for women at work

    22 May 2020

    Despite COVID-19, many women in the informal economy have continued to work, putting their health in peril, while many other women are employed in sectors at high risk of job losses or reduction in working hours. Getting gender equality right in the COVID-19 response is key to ensure the return to a better normal.

  17. Rapid Diagnostics for Assessing the Country Level Impact of COVID-19 on the Economy and Labour Market - Guidelines

    05 May 2020

    These guidelines were developed by the ILO's Employment, Labour Markets and Youth Branch (EMPLAB) to support countries, through ILO employment specialists and Country Offices, undertake rapid diagnostics to assess the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and policy responses.

  18. COVID-19 crisis and the informal economy: Immediate responses and policy challenges

    05 May 2020

    This policy brief focuses on the immediate responses that countries can take to address the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on the informal economy at its early stages, while pointing to areas that will need sustained investment in the future in order to ensure well-being and decent work for workers and economic undertakings in the informal economy. This brief will be followed by another on mid- to long-term responses, once the rapid propagation phase of the virus has passed.

  19. Beyond contagion or starvation: Giving domestic workers another way forward

    05 May 2020

    In the wake of COVID-19, governments around the world have called on people to take one most important action: to stay home. But for many workers, staying home has meant losing their jobs, or worse still, losing their livelihoods.

  20. Impact of lockdown measures on the informal economy - A summary

    05 May 2020

    As of April 2020, it is estimated that almost 1.6 billion informal economy workers are significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a 60 per cent decline in their earnings.