Demographic Dynamics & FWoW

In line with the mega-trends UNI has identified as shaping our world, this ILO brief goes into detail with labour migration and unpaid work.

The challenges are broad, intense and complex, requiring comprehensive and integrated responses. The note stresses that the future of labour supply
will not just depend on individual (economic) decisions but also on policies which should build on evidence, common vision, and social dialogue.

In view of these issues, the ILO believes that constructive debates are needed on:

Activation: What policies would be needed to ensure an increase of the quality and quantity of jobs available for all those currently inactive? What incentives can be used to increase labour force participation? 

Ageing: Ageing societies have special needs in terms of investment and consumption that can be a motor for job creation. What is the job potential in ageing societies? Can the jobs created in ageing societies fill current and future jobs gaps? Would social economy approaches suit ageing society needs better than the existing economic models?

Unpaid work and the care economy: The extent and distribution of unpaid work is a key determinant of labour supply and inequalities in the labour market, especially gender inequality. What kinds of sets of policies are needed to promote both paid and unpaid work in a sustainable and balanced way? How can we ensure that the value of unpaid work is recognized and considered in the development of policies, particularly those that deal with employment? How can these policies be adjusted to reflect cultural and economic realities in different countries? How can different delivery mechanisms (such as care co-operatives, civil society, and volunteering) be used to provide caring services typically delivered through the unpaid work of household members and thereby enable further engagement in paid work? What is the adequate and sustainable policy mix to recognize, reduce, redistribute and give representation to unpaid work and generate well-being for both caregivers and care recipients?

Migration: Globally coordinated policies are urgently needed to avoid making migrant workers a ‘global under-class’. Are we moving even further towards a global segmentation of labour markets along with persistent discriminatory practices against migrant workers? How can we ensure that migrants are seen as individuals with workers’ rights, not as members of an ‘alien’ group?

Skills: The issue of skill development and recognition cuts across the future of labour supply. What policies will ensure that education and training systems continue to improve their capacity to anticipate and respond to skill needs through higher quality and more relevant programmes and institutions? What measures need to be taken with a view to meaningfully recognizing the skills of migrant workers and deploying them where the need is greatest?

You can find all of the ILO issue briefs on the future of work here - scroll to the bottom of the page!