"Why Are There So Few Good Jobs?"... International Labour Organization Begins Reality Check

ILO '21st International Conference of Labour Statisticians'
to Collect 'Informal Employment' Statistics from Now On
"Youth More Likely to Be in Poor Jobs"

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has begun assessing the status of 'quality jobs.' As young people worldwide are pushed into low-quality jobs, the ILO aims to analyze the extent of such employment through statistical data.

The 21st International Conference of Labour Statisticians held in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 11th of last month. Photo by International Labour Organization

According to the 'Resolution of the 21st International Conference of Labour Statisticians' on the 16th, the ILO resolved to identify the shortage of quality jobs and evaluate the economic and social impacts of the informal economy's size. To this end, it established concepts related to relevant statistics and prepared guidelines for data collection and measurement.

The International Conference of Labour Statisticians is a forum where representatives from various countries discuss and decide on labor statistics guidelines. It is held every five years at the ILO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The conference held from the 11th to the 20th of last month was attended by ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo, representatives from international organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the World Bank (WB), and about 300 representatives from labor, management, and government sectors. From Korea, Cho Hyung-geun, Employment and Labor Officer at the Permanent Mission to Geneva, attended as the head of the delegation.

The conference reached a consensus on the need to identify informal employment. Informal employment refers to activities producing goods and providing services for income without legal regulations, agreements, or formal arrangements. The ILO recommended that all countries regularly generate data on the prevalence of informal jobs and identify which groups are primarily exposed to informal employment.

The ILO's initiative to collect informal employment statistics aims to improve the overall quality of jobs. Informal employment, which is not subject to labor laws and regulations, often involves poor working conditions. However, because such jobs are not captured in official statistics, it is difficult to address issues like low wages and excessive working hours. The ILO explained that it intends to collect information on how much individuals are exposed to risks, the shortage of quality jobs, and the conditions of employment.

The ILO particularly believes that young people are mainly pushed into such jobs. In August, the ILO issued a statement noting, "Young people are more likely to be in poor-quality jobs" and "are at high risk of being informally employed with little or no social protection." It further suggested that "quality jobs for all can be achieved through an informed and consistent approach."

Additionally, the conference decided to establish new school-to-work transition statistics to track whether young people aged 15 to 29 secure stable and satisfactory employment after completing their education. It also agreed to discuss methods for measuring care work statistics, for which no international standards currently exist.

The government is closely monitoring the conference resolutions. A Ministry of Employment and Labor official stated, "The newly adopted informal economy statistics are related to improving working conditions through the transition to quality jobs and to national account estimations, so relevant government departments should take an interest and seek response strategies." The official added, "Interest is growing in youth statistics, care work statistics, and other areas reflecting societal changes, so continuous attention is needed for statistics where new standards are being established."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.