From data to action: How Employment Impact Assessments inform policy for inclusive job creation

When governments and organizations launch programmes aimed at creating jobs or improving labour conditions, how do they know if those efforts are truly making a difference? Employment impact assessments provide the answer. The ILO’s Juan Chacaltana, Senior Employment Policies Specialist at the Employment Policy Department, and Alina Game, Technical Officer and Geographic Information Systems Expert dive into this technical topic and share their expertise regarding how these assessments measure the effects of policies, projects, and investments on employment, offering insights into what works and what doesn’t. In a world where job creation and economic growth are key priorities, Employment Impact Assessments are becoming essential tools for shaping effective policies that drive lasting change.

Employment impact assessments are a cornerstone of the ILO’s work. They allow policymakers to understand not just how many jobs are being created, but also who is benefiting from these jobs and whether those jobs are decent and sustainable. The assessments go beyond job counts to explore broader issues like wage levels, labour quality, gender inequality, youth unemployment, and the impact on vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities.

These assessments are carried out using a variety of methods, from traditional data like labour force and household surveys to more innovative approaches such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing. One such example is the ILO’s STRENGTHEN2 project which focuses on improving job creation in sub-Saharan Africa.

The project uses a dataset method which taps into satellite data to capture artificial lights at night—specifically called nighttime lights data—to measure the impact of infrastructure projects, such as roads, on local economic activity and employment. This approach, while unconventional, has proven effective in areas where traditional survey data is sparse or unavailable. According to Alina Game, one of the ILO experts working on STRENGTHEN2, "by applying this methodology and this data, we can assess these economic and employment changes really at the local micro-project level, and provide insights that would otherwise be really difficult to capture with more traditional methods."

The strength of employment impact assessments lies in their ability to provide evidence-based recommendations that inform policymaking. The ILO works closely with governments, development agencies, and other stakeholders to ensure that the insights gathered from these assessments lead to better-designed, more effective programmes. Game emphasizes, “We're trying to produce these assessments to support policy and provide evidence-based recommendations coming out of these assessments to inform government and other stakeholders working in this area.”

This collaboration helps create policies that not only boost job creation but also promote decent work and inclusive growth, with a special focus on marginalized groups. As part of the STRENGTHEN2 project, the ILO places a strong emphasis on understanding who is benefiting from the jobs created, particularly regarding gender and youth. “Through the work on the STRENGTHEN2 project, what we try to do is not only estimate the number of jobs that have been created from these interventions that we're assessing, but we really try to place a strong emphasis on understanding who is benefiting from these jobs that are created, particularly in terms of things like gender and youth,” says Game.

Beyond individual projects, employment impact assessments play a key role in supporting the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8, which calls for decent work and economic growth. As part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, governments need reliable data to track progress and make informed decisions about job creation and labour market policies. Employment impact assessments provide that data, ensuring that interventions are not only successful but aligned with global goals. Juan Chaclatana, underscores the importance of impact assessments in achieving these targets: “For all these targets, policymakers need solid evidence on what works and what are the potential of different types of interventions.”

As countries and organizations work toward a future where decent jobs are accessible to all, employment impact assessments are critical in ensuring that the right policies are in place to make that vision a reality. Chacaltana sums it up: “Employment impact assessments are essential for advancing the 2030 Agenda by ensuring transparency, accountability, and evidence-based advice.” They provide the transparency, accountability, and evidence needed to design interventions that truly make a difference in the lives of workers worldwide.

In the end, employment impact assessments do more than track job creation—they offer a pathway to better, more inclusive economic growth. By using data-driven insights to guide decision-making, these assessments help ensure that the jobs of tomorrow are not only plentiful but also decent, sustainable, and accessible to all.

For more information on Employment Impact Assessments and how it supports evidence-based policy advice that enhances job creation, employment conditions and workers’ employability that drive lasting change, listen to our podcast.

Interested in learning more about Employment Impact Assessments? Apply to the ITC/ILO course on Jobs Measurement and Employment Impact Assessment, 13-17 October 2025.

Article by Emilie Smith, Communications Intern, Department Management Coordination Unit (DMCU)/ ILO Employment Policy, Job Creation and Livelihoods Department.