All ILO Newsroom content
December 2009
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Publication
ILO, WTO joint study on trade and informal employment: Globalization and Informal Jobs in Developing Countries
01 December 2009
This study finds that the high incidence of informal employment in the developing world suppresses countries’ ability to benefit from trade opening by creating poverty traps for workers in job transition. It is a product of the collaborative research programme of the ILO International Institute for Labour Studies and the WTO Secretariat.
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Publication
From Bismarck to Beveridge: Social security for all
01 December 2009
120 years ago, Germany became the first nation in the world to adopt an old-age social insurance programme, designed by Otto von Bismarck...
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Publication
Ageing societies: The benefits, and the costs, of living longer
01 December 2009
Population ageing, defined as a process which increases the proportion of old people within the total population, is one of the main problems of this century. It affects or will affect both developed and developing countries. It appears on the agendas of meetings of all kinds, from the G8 conferences to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summits. According to a report for a recent meeting of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) , this does not mean, however, that all the necessary action has been taken yet.
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Publication
Turning crisis into an opportunity: The role of social security in response and recovery
01 December 2009
Even before the current economic crisis, national social security systems were under intense political and economic strain. In industrialized countries, the cost was considered too high, while in many developing countries they were simply considered unaffordable. Now, the economic and social crisis has changed perceptions. Social security systems are seen more and more as useful economic stabilizers in crisis times. Michael Cichon, Director of the ILO’s Social Security Department, looks at social security in times of crisis and the possible dawn of a new development paradigm.
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Video
With the Global Jobs Pact, South African Trade Unions Place Emphasis on Re-training of Workers
01 December 2009
"We have taken the Global Jobs Pact into our South African framework response to the economic crisis and we have been working on issues to address the distressed sectors, putting an emphasis on re-training and re-skilling of workers," said Bheki Ntshalintshali, Deputy General Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, in an interview with ILO TV.
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Video
Emphasis on Sustainable Enterprises Important Element of Global Jobs Pact for South Africa
01 December 2009
"We got a much bigger emphasis with the Global Jobs Pact for the fact that for you to create jobs and a greener economy you need to first create sustainable enterprises, because by having sustainable enterprises you can have sustainable jobs," said Mthunzi Mdwaba, CEO of Torque IT in an interview with ILO TV. "It's something that we've taken very seriously in South Africa."
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Video
Global Jobs Pact Welcomed by Indian Policymakers
01 December 2009
"What the Global Jobs Pact means is that jobs should be at the centre of all economic growth. So all the policies should be focussed on job creation rather than the other way, that you want GDP and not the jobs. This emphasis has gone down well with Indian policymakers," said Yogendra Kr. Modi, Chairman & CEO of the Great Eastern Energy Corporation Ltd., in an interview with ILO TV.
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Video
New Zealand's Focus on Job Skills Part of a Multi-Pronged Crisis Exit Strategy
01 December 2009
"If we think about the way in which the world will pull out of the crisis, and already is, the real danger we face is that those people who have skills will get jobs relatively easily, but those without skills may not," said Phil O'Reilly, Chief Executive of Business NZ in an interview with ILO TV. "The Global Jobs Pact has helped us come up with some concrete policy recommendations and actions, that we've taken in New Zealand around, for example, the issue of skills."
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Video
Flexible Working Arrangements Help Australia Maintain Employment During Economic Crisis
01 December 2009
"We need to maintain medium and long-term thinking, even though we have a short-term crisis, and that means trying to sustain employment and the skills base of our economy even though demand has dropped off," said Peter Anderson, Chief Executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in an interview with ILO TV about the Global Jobs Pact and the Australian labour market.
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Publication
Social security: Responding to the crisis
01 December 2009
The financial and economic crisis that began in 2007 has delivered a tumultuous two years for the financial world, sending many financial institutions into a tailspin and putting governments in difficulty. As one might expect with such an extensive crisis, social security systems have also been affected, and social security funds have suffered. A large number of these schemes witnessed a sharp contraction of their asset portfolio values in 2008, affecting their long-term sustainability. Nevertheless, social security systems have responded effectively to the test by softening the impact of the crisis. The challenge for social security now is to continue to cope with rising unemployment and the burden of future debt. Ian Orton, working for the International Social Security Association’s (ISSA) Social Security Observatory, looks at the impact of the crisis on social security.