All news: informal employment + informal enterprises + informal economy
ILO News
Connecting workers to jobs: the rising public employment services in the Caribbean
Public employment services are evolving to better match skills with opportunity in a rapidly changing world of work.
Media advisory
ILO Director General to strengthen partnerships for decent work in the Sahel
The Director-General of the ILO, Gilbert F. Houngbo, is embarking on a mission to the countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) from 5 to 15 April 2026. The aim is to strengthen partnerships to promote decent work, a cornerstone of stability...
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises
Philippine partners shape new guided mobile financial education for small businesses
In the Philippines, the ILO and its partners are advancing the rollout of a new mobile phone-based financial education model for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), particularly first-time borrowers using digital financial services.
From waste to opportunity, E-Waste project officially handed over in Limpopo
The ILO-supported E-Waste Project in South Africa, concluded on 20 March 2026 with a handover event marking its transition to local ownership. The initiative empowered 22 young people with skills in e-waste management, safety, and entrepreneurship,...
Social protection key to inclusive transitions in Africa
At a high-level event in Brussels, the ILO highlighted the urgent need to expand social protection in sub-Saharan Africa, emphasizing its role in reducing inequalities and supporting just transitions in a rapidly changing world.
ILO and Thabazimbi municipality mark Global Recycling day with E-Waste awareness drive
Social protection
Timor-Leste advances social security coverage for informal workers
With support from the ILO, the government, workers’ and employers’ organizations in Timor-Leste have joined forces to accelerate the inclusion of informal economy workers in the social security system.
DRC launches a joint project to strengthen social protection and promote access to decent work
A new joint project by the United Nations and the World Bank, launched in Kinshasa, aims to strengthen social protection and promote access to decent work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a particular focus on young people, women and...
Promoting declared work in Europe: the European Labour Authority launches new campaign
Marking the 10th anniversary of the European Platform tackling undeclared work, the European Labour Authority highlights the shared benefits of declared work for workers, employers and societies across Europe.
Press release
Indonesian union confederations call for inclusive social security reform
Nine major trade union confederations have united in a joint commitment demanding inclusive reform of Indonesia’s Social Security System.
Caribbean labour market in focus
The Caribbean labour market paradox: What the 2026 ILO report reveals
The key question in the Caribbean is not whether people are working, but whether work itself is becoming a stronger engine for prosperity, inclusion, and resilience.
Global Accelerator
Uzbekistan advances work injury insurance for construction workers
Tripartite dialogue identifies a solution to expand work injury insurance for informal construction workers.
Digitalization and financial inclusion
The ILO and the Swiss Government continue to strengthen partnerships for Indonesia’s sustainable patchouli development
The patchouli industry has emerged as a leading sector in Aceh Province in Indonesia, contributing significantly to local economic development and improving community welfare.
Global Accelerator
Development partners target work injury insurance gaps for construction workers in Uzbekistan
Under the Global Accelerator in Uzbekistan, international financial institutions and UN partners met to strengthen worker protection in the construction sector.
Voices of Action - Child labour
Tourism boom exposes child labour risks in Viet Nam’s northern highlands
Children from ethnic minority communities like 13-year-old Phang Ca work on perilous trails popularized by adventure tourism to help support their families.
Social protection
From protection to empowerment: Social security and inclusion of persons with disabilities
From being denied access to school as a blind child to standing before policymakers as a university student, Vu Thi Hai Anh’s journey shows how inclusive social protection can turn exclusion into empowerment when barriers are removed.
Productivity ecosystems for decent work
ILO welcomes Swiss mission, highlighting progress on productivity and decent work in Viet Nam
High-level delegation of Swiss Government, employers and workers reviews ILO-supported initiatives linking productivity growth with improved working conditions.
World of Work Series: Employment and Social Trends 2026
Global job quality stagnates despite resilient growth
Challenges persist, especially for youth and women, the Employment and Social Trends 2026 report warns.
EU-funded ILO PROSPER Project
Community-led economic planning takes shape in Southern Belize
The pilot of a Participatory Appraisal of Competitive Advantage (PACA) in Hopkins and Seine Bight demonstrated how community-led planning can generate practical, locally owned priorities for inclusive and sustainable economic development in Southern...
Child labour
Strengthening coffee farming communities in Viet Nam to prevent child labour
When what seems normal can still carry child labour risks.
3 of 42