Commerce

Commerce, both in wholesale and retail trades, acts as an essential bridge between goods producers and consumers worldwide, regardless of a country's development level or political system. This sector is markedly diverse, with significant differences between wholesale and retail activities and within retail categories like department, specialty, or discount stores, and between online and brick-and-mortar. Its structure varies globally, influenced by factors such as living standards, consumer habits, and legal frameworks. The sector is increasingly globalized and concentrated, with many commerce companies ranking high globally in sales and employment.

Recent trends include the impact of digitalization, revolutionizing the sector by introducing advanced retail technologies, e-commerce platforms, and online marketplaces, significantly altering consumer behaviour, business models, and employment dynamics. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has focused on the implications of globalization, just transition, digitalization, and the evolving needs of the workforce in this rapidly changing sector, particularly highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key resources

HIV and AIDS: Guidelines for the retail sector (November 2015)
Code of practice: Workplace violence in services sectors and measures to combat this phenomenon (October 2003)

Briefs

Technical meeting on occupational safety and health in the retail sector (September 2026)
Technical meeting on digitalization in the retail sector as an engine for economic recovery and decent work (25-29 September 2023)
Global dialogue forum on the needs of older workers in relation to changing work processes and the working environment in retail commerce (21-22 September 2011)
Tripartite meeting on social and labour implications of the increased use of advanced retail technologies (18-20 September 2006)

The line graphs show a time series of modelled global and regional employment estimates at the sectoral level. The ILO modelled estimates generally cover 189 countries, offering a comprehensive set of internationally comparable labour statistics. These include both reported data and imputed figures for countries with missing information. The imputations are generated using econometric models developed by the ILO.

For more detailed labour market indicators and country-level data, visit the Sectoral Employment Statistics page of the ILOSTAT database.

The line graphs show a time series of modelled global and regional employment estimates at the sectoral level. The ILO modelled estimates generally cover 189 countries, offering a comprehensive set of internationally comparable labour statistics. These include both reported data and imputed figures for countries with missing information. The imputations are generated using econometric models developed by the ILO.

For more detailed labour market indicators and country-level data, visit the Sectoral Employment Statistics page of the ILOSTAT database.