Comment and analysis

2012

1. 

   Skills

   Wanted: Local workers for the oil and gas industry

   12 December 2012

   The oil and gas industry is facing increasing shortages of skilled workers. This could be an opportunity for oil- and gas-producing countries to boost the involvement of their local workforce.

2. 

   Europe

   Competitiveness and employment: Trying to square the circle

   05 December 2012

   Cutting costs can help a country become more competitive and boost exports as a result. But, as attractive as it may seem, EU countries, which trade heavily among themselves, cannot all gain a competitive edge at the same time.

3. 

   World of Work

   The challenges beyond the crisis

   25 November 2012

   There are strong forces besides the global economic crisis affecting labour markets worldwide. Understanding and shaping policies to respond to them will determine the present and future of the world of work. By José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs*

4. 

   Unemployment insurance

   More than 70 per cent of workers lack unemployment protection

   14 November 2012

   The recent global economic crisis has served as a stark reminder of why unemployment insurance matters. But the reality is that fewer than half of almost 200 countries monitored by the ILO offer such protection.

5. 

   Social protection

   Can China get old and rich at the same time?

   07 November 2012

   China has already done a lot to adapt labour markets and social protection systems to an ageing society. But it will have to do more to balance its economic and social needs.

6. 

   Banking co-ops

   What financial cooperatives can teach the big banks

   05 November 2012

   The success of financial cooperatives during the global financial crisis shows there is a credible alternative to the investment-owned banking system.

7. 

   Measuring unemployment

   Youth jobs count – but how?

   02 November 2012

   The latest EU figures show a further increase in youth unemployment, but there has been some debate in the past over whether to express those levels in rates rather than ratios. What is the difference between the two, and which, if any, is a more precise measurement?

8. 

   Microinsurance

   The win-win potential of microinsurance for migrants

   29 October 2012

   International migrants send home over US$ 400 billion a year, yet they and their families often lack basic social protection. That is where microinsurance can step in.

9. Labour rights

   Domestic workers in Europe falling through the loopholes

   24 October 2012

   Many domestic workers in Europe do not enjoy as much legal protection as other workers. ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers – which will come into force in a year’s time – offers a chance to improve the lives of the millions of people who work in this profession.

10. 

    Labour demographics

    Young and older workers, two sides of the same coin

    08 October 2012

    Many of the countries that are suffering from huge youth unemployment levels are also experiencing population ageing. Isn’t it time to start thinking of older workers as a category that deserves specific attention?