Resources on social protection

Should we treat the care economy as an investment or a cost?

26 October 2023

Demand for care already outstrips supply and is expected to increase significantly in the future. Now, new ILO research suggests that spending on care – particularly childcare – could bring a return on investment of more than 3-to-1.

Should retirement be retired? The pros and cons of older workers

28 September 2023

The global population is getting older. At the same time employers complain they can’t find the workers or skills they need, and governments worry about funding health care and social protection. On International Day for Older Persons (1 October) we look at whether keeping people in the workforce longer could be an answer.

Why are key workers undervalued?

17 March 2023

The COVID-19 crisis showed how much we all rely on key workers, yet it also exposed the poor working conditions they often face. How can we ensure that these essential workers are decently treated?

Tackling the productivity challenge

27 February 2023

Low levels of productivity are making it more difficult for countries and regions to escape from the current mix of social and economic challenges. How can productivity be improved?

Career guidance in challenging times: An investment in the future

16 February 2023

A host of disruptive trends – public health crises, accelerated automation, digitalization, and climate change – are buffeting the world of work, requiring new kinds of skills and re-skilling in labour markets. Career guidance is now more important than ever for recovery plans and forward-looking strategies for helping workers stay employed, and enterprises stay competitive.

The Global Accelerator: What it is and what it does in the future of work

12 January 2023

In the face or multiple global challenges, the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions has been launched to increase coordination of the multilateral system’s efforts to help countries create 400 million decent jobs in both developed and emerging economies, and to extend social protection to 4 billion people who are currently excluded.

What can the social and solidarity economy do for recovery?

31 May 2022

One of the better-known forms of solidarity economy activity is the cooperative. These are enterprises that are owned, governed, and run by their members. What are the challenges that cooperatives face to operate well? How can cooperatives contribute to building resilient economies?

Why investing in care is about equality

08 March 2022

Gaps in care systems – which were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic – can undermine gender equality, so removing talent and skills from the workforce. A new ILO report on care at work analyses the current state of care services in 185 countries and makes a strong case for increasing investment in the sector.

How to make the informal formal?

18 February 2022

Just what is life like for workers in the informal economy? What are the global solutions to intransigent informality and will the growth of the ‘gig’ economy help informal economy workers gain the security and social protection they so badly need?

Austerity undermines social protection

25 July 2016

Only 20 per cent of the world’s population has adequate social security coverage such as old age and sickness pensions, maternity and paternity cover, and unemployment insurance. More than half lack any coverage at all. As globally government budgets come under increasing pressure, many are turning their social protect schemes to save money, but are such cuts justified? Do they in the long run actually undermine economic security?

ILO

Advancing social justice, promoting decent work

ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations