Full report

Asia-Pacific Employment and Social Outlook 2020: Navigating the crisis towards a human-centred future of work

The Asia-Pacific Employment and Social Outlook 2020 report pulls together the most recent statistics to generate an assessment of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had so far on employment and labour markets in the most populous and dynamic region of the world. With economic growth in the Asia and Pacific region already weakening in 2019, the current crisis has hit economies, enterprises and workers in the region with a force that is reversing some of the limited gains made in pursuit of decent work and inclusive growth in the previous decade.

With an estimated 81 million jobs lost in 2020 and working-hour losses pushing an additional 22–25 million employed into working poverty, the report warns that the overall size of the fiscal response in the region has been insufficient to offset the costs of labour market turmoil. As countries in Asia and the Pacific continue to propagate policies to support recovery, the report promotes the areas of investment needed to navigate the crisis towards a human-centred future of work that aligns to the vision of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.