A multitude of crises are stalling the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, which is uneven and still incomplete in many parts of the world. Policymakers face difficult trade-offs (such as that between inflation and continued labour market slack). The cost-of-living crisis threatens household livelihoods. Employment growth in 2023 is projected to falter while global unemployment is expected to rise. Major decent work deficits, which to a large degree predate the pandemic, are set to persist under these conditions.

This year’s World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends provides a comprehensive assessment of existing decent work deficits and discusses how they were affected by the COVID-19 crisis. It analyses global patterns, regional differences and outcomes across groups of workers. The report also offers labour market projections for 2023 and 2024. Moreover, it presents trends in labour productivity growth and analyses the factors underlying its decline.