Summit of the Americas
Ryder: 'Economic slowdown in Latin America and the Caribbean is affecting employment'
The ILO Director-General is in Panama where he is scheduled to attend the Seventh Summit of the Americas (10-11). He met leading workers’ and employers’ representatives from the region, as well as Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela.
“After a decade of significant improvements, in which regional unemployment dropped to historic levels, we must brace ourselves for a rise in unemployment rates,” said Ryder, who is in Panama to attend the 7th Summit of the Americas (10-11 April).
The average urban unemployment rate in Latin America and the Caribbean stood at 11 per cent a decade ago. It dropped to 6.1 per cent last year, but according to the latest ILO figures, it is expected to rise to at least 6.3 per cent in 2015.
Ryder took part in the Civil Society Forum on Wednesday, where he stressed the need to implement policies that would prevent a rise in unemployment and lead to what he called a “productive transformation.”
“We need to look for an economic growth model that generates more and better jobs for all,” he said.
Ryder also participated in the Foro Sindical de las Américas, which brought together unions from the region. He said that Latin America and the Caribbean will need to create 50 million jobs over the next decade to absorb young workers entering the labour market.
“When the economy is not working properly, this becomes very hard,” he said, adding that some may be forced to look for jobs in the informal economy, which already covers almost half of all workers in the region.
The ILO Director-General also took part in the Second CEO Summit of the Americas from across the Americas, where he said that transforming the growth model poses an important challenge for the private sector.
“Of course, saying it is very easy, but transforming the economic growth model of the region is a very difficult task. That’s why we need to start now,” he said.
In his meetings with employers and workers, Ryder referred to social dialogue as an important tool to achieve equality in a region that is often characterized as the most unequal in the world.
Ryder met with several high-ranking authorities while in Panama, including President Juan Carlos Varela and Labour Minister, Luis Ernesto Carles.
For the media
For more information on the ILO at the 7th Summit of the AmericasLuis Córdova, ILO communication officer, cordova@ilo.org, +51 989301246