Labour and social trends in Cambodia, 2010

The NIS, with the support of the ILO, has published a Labour and Social Trends in Cambodia, 2010. It is a data driven publication, based on the analysis of the Census 2008 data and other primary data, along with data from the line ministries. It responds to the need for up to date labour market information and trends – on both quantitative and qualitative aspects of Decent Work –and the emerging policy implications. A detailed statistical annex is attached.

The NIS, with the support of the ILO, has published a Labour and Social Trends in Cambodia, 2010. It is a data driven publication, based on the analysis of the Census 2008 data and other primary data, along with data from the line ministries. It responds to the need for up to date labour market information and trends - on both quantitative and qualitative aspects of Decent Work -and the emerging policy implications. A detailed statistical annex is attached.

The dramatic changes the country has faced over the past two decades, as it moved from a centrally planned economy to a market economy, underlie complex labour market issues - which have an impact on poverty, inequality and development in Cambodia. The report fills a long standing gap in systematic reliable labour market analysis for Cambodia that is so crucial for ensuring policies that promote Decent Work for all Cambodian women and men- which is critical for poverty alleviation. It provides gender disaggregated information, where possible, on demographic structure, on the labour force developments, on labour migration, occupational safety and health, productivity, working children, and industrial relations.

Scanning a large body of information on various aspects of the labour market, the report concludes that while there are several notable achievements in the past decades - including an increasing employment to population ratio, rise in women’s labour force participation, rise in the level of education of the employed population and a declining unemployment rate, several challenges to providing Decent Work to all women and men remain. The share of vulnerable employment in total employment remains very high, and productivity in Cambodia remains low, especially in comparision to other ASEAN countries. Furthermore, with a projected increase in the working age population in the coming years, the challenge of providing decent employment opportunities to an expanding labour force is a critical policy challenge.