Global job quality stagnates despite resilient growth
Global unemployment remains stable and is projected to stay just under 5 per cent in 2026, but progress toward decent work has stalled, according to the ILO Employment and Social Trends 2026 report. The study warns that young people continue to struggle, while artificial intelligence and trade policy uncertainty risk further undermining the job market.
The report also discusses labour market trends in Europe. Whilst labour market indicators of (un)employment appear relatively stable, there are signs of both labour shortages and surpluses. In the EU, occupations with the greatest shortages include welders, nurses, cooks and electricians. At the same time, there are also significant surpluses in different occupations, which may partly reflect job replacement by technology.
These shortages and surpluses represent both changing labour demand and skill mismatches across Europe, driven by structural factors such as ageing populations, as well as the green and digital transitions, which are affecting skills demand. The study calls for pro-active, targeted policies to adapt the labour force to demographic changes and improve long-term growth and employment outcomes. Read more
Joint ELA-ILO workshop discusses measurement of informality and undeclared work
A workshop organized by the European Labour Authority in collaboration with the ILO and ITC-ILO highlighted that solid measurement is essential to guide policymaking and strengthen data driven enforcement in both EU and non EU countries. Researchers, policymakers, statisticians, social partners and institutions across Europe and beyond shared good practices and innovative approaches and tools to support national efforts to address informality and undeclared work. Watch the recording
Luxembourg and the ILO sign a new Strategic Partnership Framework
The annual consultation between the government of Luxembourg and the ILO concluded with the signing of a new Strategic Partnership Framework, renewing the partnership until 2029, with a focus mainly on social protection and core voluntary contributions. The ILO thanked the government for its global leadership and longstanding support to the ILO’s development cooperation programme. Read more
European Parliament study calls for stronger decent work metrics in EU interventions in sub-Saharan Africa
The study finds that the measurement of employment outcomes within EU external actions remains fragmented, with insufficient systematic attention to job quality and decent work. It calls for a stronger use of existing tools, including ILO tools, and for decent work to be institutionalized across Global Gateway operations. Read more
ILO and international financial institutions work toward more coherent approaches to measuring job quality
ILO and IFIs exchanged experiences and explored opportunities for joint efforts to strengthen how development finance captures employment quality. Participants included major development finance institutions — including the World Bank, the EIB, the EBRD, and ENABEL — alongside academics and ILO experts. The event was supported through the STRENGTHEN2 project, which is co-funded by the EU. Read more
ILO and the EU’s European Training Foundation strengthen partnership on skills and decent work
The European Training Foundation (ETF) and the ILO agreed to expand joint action on skills, lifelong learning and employment policies, backing the green transition, competitiveness, and social inclusion. Read more
Finance works best when it is embedded in economic pathways
At a workshop on innovative financing in fragile contexts organized by the European Commission, the ILO discussed pathways to promote financial inclusion for forcibly displaced persons. Read more
How to unlock the potential of social vouchers in Europe
At a webinar organized by the European Federation for Services to Individuals (EFSI), the ILO explained that service vouchers can genuinely contribute to formalization and decent work, on the condition that they are firmly grounded in the principles of the ILO Domestic Workers Convention (No. 189). This includes designing social vouchers through social dialogue, clearly establishing who the employer is, and guaranteeing fundamental protections. Nine EU Member States have ratified Convention 189. Read more
ILO constituents and partners strengthen knowledge on the social and solidarity economy to advance social justice
The ILO convened a technical knowledge-sharing event in Turin, bringing together participants from countries that support the promotion of the social and solidarity economy (SSE), including from Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain. The discussions emphasized how to sustain and grow SSE contributions to advance social justice and ensure long-term impact and resilience. Read more
