Papers and Briefs

June 2021

  1. ILO brief

    COVID-19, vaccinations and consumer demand: How jobs are affected through global supply chains

    22 June 2021

    COVID-19 led to a severe decline in global consumer demand that has only recovered partially in most countries so far. This brief assesses the number of jobs in global supply chains that are experiencing a negative impact due to the decline on consumer demand for manufacturing products worldwide.

May 2021

  1. ILO Working paper 34

    Old age work and income security in middle income countries: comparing the cases

    25 May 2021

    This paper considers the demographic ageing trend experienced in 35 middle-income countries. It examines employment and other related dimensions that can reflect their preparedness to secure adequate income for their ageing population. Drawing from country-specific indicators, this study applies factor analysis to approximate underlying relative differences between countries in terms of economic and social preparedness, distributional vulnerability and gender inequality.

  2. ILO Working paper 32

    Digital Work in Eastern Europe: Overview of Trends, Outcomes, and Policy Responses

    25 May 2021

    This paper presents the emergence and growth of digital labour markets in Eastern Europe over the period 1999-2019. It presents the profiles of digital workers, their working conditions and discusses how these are shaped by the business models of digital labour platforms.

  3. ILO brief

    Implications of the COVID-19 crisis for enterprises’ human resource management policies and practices

    19 May 2021

    The COVID-19 crisis has increased the importance of human and social capital for enterprise success. The competitiveness and viability — even survival — of an enterprise increasingly depend on its ability to make its employees motivated, skilled and committed. This can only be achieved in a workplace environment characterized by a spirit of social dialogue, mutual trust and respect, non-discrimination, and the absence of violence and harassment. This brief illustrates how enterprises have coped with the COVID-19 pandemic by adjusting their people management approaches, policies and practices.

November 2020

  1. ILO Working paper 15

    The Transformation of the Mexican Labour Regulation Model and its link to North American Economic Integration

    23 November 2020

    This paper examines the different phases and changes of the Mexican labour regulation model. It analyses the extent to which trade liberalization was pivotal in the recent labour regulation reforms – particularly in the area of freedom of association and collective bargaining –.

October 2020

  1. ILO Working paper 13

    The labour market impact of international trade: Methodological approaches for macro- and meso-level assessments

    20 October 2020

    The paper presents an analysis of methodological approaches commonly used for the empirical assessment of international trade on labour market outcomes at the macro and meso level. It explains how mixed-methods and the use of a broader set of indicators could improve the analysis of qualitative aspects of the labour market related to working conditions.

  2. ILO Working paper 12

    Trade and labour market outcomes: Theory and evidence at the firm and worker levels

    20 October 2020

    This paper surveys the literature on the impact of international trade on firms and workers. It also discusses the challenges for future research and the need for developing new statistical indicators that better reflect the dimensions of decent work.

August 2020

  1. ILO Working paper 7

    What drives CSR? An empirical analysis on the labour dimensions of CSR

    05 August 2020

    Relying on the data provided by an ESG rating agency, this paper aims at bringing more understanding on the diversity of firms’ behaviours in terms of labour related CSR and filling a gap on the potential role of labour market institutions, including workers’ collective rights, to contribute to an effective CSR policy.

June 2020

  1. Policy brief

    COVID-19 and global supply chains: How the jobs crisis propagates across borders

    29 June 2020

    This brief investigates the international propagation through global supply chains of the demand and supply disruptions caused by the COVID-19 crisis. It provides estimates of the number of jobs in manufacturing supply chains that are at risk as a result of those disruptions.

  2. Briefing note

    Delivering income and employment support in times of COVID-19: Integrating cash transfers with active labour market policies

    18 June 2020

    This brief examines how income support and active labour market policies can come together to improve workers' prospects in times of COVID-19, particularly in emerging and developing countries. It identifies the characteristics that determined the success of such polices in the past, and discusses how they can be adapted to today’s pandemic to contribute to rebuilding employment opportunities.