Comment and analysis

2013

1. 

   Child labour

   Protecting children from having to work

   30 April 2013

   Social protection measures can help reduce the incidence of child labour, says Constance Thomas, Director of the ILO’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC).

2. 

   © Patricia de Melo Moreira / AFP 2013

   Economic crisis

   Crisis shockwaves reverberate in European public sector

   24 April 2013

   The public sector in many European countries has been hit hard by the economic crisis, leading to big cuts in spending, jobs and wages. ILO Senior Economist, Daniel Vaughan-Whitehead, analyses the impact on the public sector, of policy responses to the crisis.

3. 

   By Guy Ryder

   Jobs, social inclusion and growth should top EU agenda

   14 February 2013

   ILO Director-General Guy Ryder discusses the priorities of the European Union in the context of his first official visit to Ireland, which holds the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU.

2012

1. 

   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.

2. 

   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.

3. 

   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?

4. 

   Analysis

   Crisis in Spain highlights an increasing ‘employment divide’

   17 September 2012

   The wave of social unrest that has recently hit Spain is a reflection of the growing rural/urban and north/south divide in the country.

5. 

   Article

   Weathering the crisis: A Turkish recipe

   06 August 2012

   Turkey has managed to overcome the global financial crisis better than many European countries. How did it do it?

6. 

   Article

   Can Europe still afford health and long-term care for its elderly?

   11 May 2012

   Ageing is a slow-burning fuse with a strong impact both on public expenditures and the social mood, as shown by this week’s strike in the UK over pensions. The situation is particularly serious in terms of health and long-term care. Even more alarming is the financial burden on households looking after the elderly. Interview with Ms. Xenia Scheil-Adlung, Health Policy Coordinator at the ILO.