Wages and income

Wages are a key aspect of the quality of work and a major component of household income. The 2008 ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization therefore calls for policies in regards to wages and earnings, hours and other conditions of work, designed to ensure a just share of the fruits of progress to all and a minimum living wage to all employed and in need of such protection”.

The two ILO Conventions on minimum wage setting provide some detailed guidance on the machinery for minimum wage fixing and on the elements to take into consideration in determining the level of minimum wages, while the Global Wage Report provides an overview of major trends in wages and wage policies.

What we do

What's new

  1. Global Wage Report 2014-2015

    The Global Wage Report analyses the evolution of real wages around the world, giving a unique picture of wage trends and relative purchasing power globally and by region. The 2014/15 edition examines the link between wage inequality and inequality at the household level, analysing the role of wage policies and the social partners.

  2. Analysis of employment, real wage, and productivity trends in South Africa since 1994

    Working Paper no. 45

  3. Wage-led Growth: An equitable strategy for economic recovery

    This original and extensive study examines the causes and consequences associated with the falling wage share and rising inequality in income distribution, relating to both aggregate demand and labour productivity. It presents new empirical and econometric evidence regarding the economic causes and potential impact of changing income distribution.

  4. Equal Pay - An introductory guide

    24 June 2013

    Ensuring that the work done by women and men is valued fairly and ending pay discrimination is essential to achieving gender equality. However, pay inequality continues to persist and gender pay gaps in some instances have stagnated or even increased.