Poverty

Protecting the life and health of workers during the COVID 19 pandemic: Overview of national legislative and policy responses

The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the cardinal importance of protecting health and safety in the workplace. ILO Member States are responding, through legislative and policy measures in the world of work, to the occupational health and safety issues raised by this extraordinary situation. This Brief provides examples of laws and policies from 35 countries and

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The International Labour Organization and Globalization: Fundamental Rights, Decent Work and Social Justice

This paper discusses how the ILO reacted to the challenges to its raison d’être posed by the end of the Cold War and the new globalization era. It shows that its continued relevance was attained in three main stages: the adoption of the 1998 Declaration, the development of the “decent work” concept and the adoption

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The impact of minimum wage increases on the South African economy in the Global Policy Model

This paper uses the United Nations Global Policy Model (GPM) to assess the impact of increases in minimum wages on the South African economy. The results indicate that higher (relative) real wage growth rebalances national income, and the labour share increases since relative wages rise and employment is roughly maintained.

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Foreign trade barriers and jobs in global supply chains

This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of how trade and trade policies shape job creation and destruction across countries in the context of a globally fragmented production, by considering manufacturing and services jobs separately. The analysis takes into account not only tariff and non-tariff barriers to goods trade, but also barriers to

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Digitalization and structural labour market problems: The case of Germany

This paper looks at one of the main drivers of technological change, digitalization and how it will impact jobs. Taking the case of Germany the paper argues that smart automation might not lead to overall job losses but considerable shifts in the structure of employment with regard to industries, occupations, skills and tasks.

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Linking jobs in global supply chains to demand

This paper presents evidence on the number of jobs in global supply chains for 40 countries, and explores in detail whose demand these jobs depend on in terms of countries and sectors. The paper documents the rapidly increasing number of jobs supported by production linkages between emerging economies, and provides evidence on the so-called servicification

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