2 billion people
lifted out of low human development, in last 25 years, now focus on work is
needed to galvanize progress, alerts the 2015 Human Development Report.
Fast technological progress, deepening globalization, aging societies and environmental challenges are rapidly transforming what work means today and how it is performed. This new world of work presents great opportunities for some, but also profound challenges for others. The 2015 Human Development Report, released at a ceremony in Ethiopia, urges governments to act now to ensure no one is left behind in the fast-changing world of work.
The report,
titled ‘Work for Human Development’, calls for equitable and decent work for all. In doing
so, it encourages governments to look beyond jobs to consider the many kinds of
work, such
as unpaid care, voluntary, or creative work that are important for human development. The report
suggests that only by taking such a broad view can the benefits of work be
truly harnessed for sustainable development.
Speaking at the
launch, Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn of the Federal Democratic Republic
of Ethiopia, said “employment can
be a great driver of progress, but more people need to be able to benefit from
sustainable work that helps them and their families to thrive.”
The need for more
inclusive and sustainable work opportunities was also emphasized by United
Nations Development Programme Administrator Helen Clark who said “decent work contributes to both the
richness of economies and the richness of human lives. All countries need to
respond to the challenges in the new world of work and seize opportunities to
improve lives and livelihoods.”
With better health and
education outcomes and reductions in extreme poverty, 2 billion people have
moved out of low human development levels in the last 25 years, the report
says. Yet in order to secure these gains and galvanize progress, a stronger
focus on decent work is needed.
830 million people are
classified as working poor who live on under $2.00 a day. Over 200 million
people, including 74 million youth, are unemployed, while 21 million people are
currently in forced labour.
“Human progress will accelerate when
everyone who wants to work has the opportunity to do so under decent
circumstances. Yet in many countries, people are often excluded from paid work,
or are paid less than others for doing work of the same value,” said report lead author Selim Jahan.
Women do three out of
every four hours of unpaid work
The report presents a
detailed new estimate of the share of all work, not just paid work, between men
and women. While women carry out 52 percent of all global work, glaring
inequalities in the distribution of work remain.
Women are less likely
to be paid for their work than men, with three out of every four hours of
unpaid work carried out by women. In contrast, men account for two of every
three hours of paid work. Since women often carry the burden of providing care
services for family members, the report warns that this disparity is likely to
increase as populations age.
When women are paid,
they earn globally, on average, 24 percent less than men, and occupy less than
a quarter of senior business positions worldwide.
“To reduce this inequality, societies need new policies, including
better access to paid care services. Ensuring equal pay, providing paid
parental leave, and tackling the harassment and the social norms
that exclude so many women from paid work are among the changes
needed. That would enable the burden of unpaid care work to be shared more
widely, and give women a genuine choice on whether to enter the labour force,” Helen Clark said.
Globalization and the
digital revolution are double-edged swords
Globalization and
technological changes are producing an increasingly polarized world of
work.
“There has never been a better time to be a highly skilled worker.
Conversely, it is not a good time to be unskilled. This is deepening
inequalities,” said report author
Selim Jahan.
Highly skilled workers
and those with access to technology, including to the internet, have new
opportunities in the types of work available and the way that work is done.
Today, there are seven billion mobile phone subscriptions, 2.3 billion people
with smart phones, and 3.2 billion with internet access. This has brought about
many changes in the world of work - for example, the rise of e-commerce and the
mass outsourcing of banking, ICT-support, and other services.
Despite new
opportunities, however, more jobs are now becoming vulnerable and a wide
digital divide remains, the report notes.
In 2015, 81 percent of
households in developed countries have internet access, but only 34 percent in
developing regions and 7 percent in the least developed countries have that
access.
Many types of routine
work, such as clerical jobs, are predicted to disappear or be replaced by
computers, or have already disappeared, the report warns, while many more
workers face other insecurities. According to the International Labour
Organization, 61 percent of employed people in the world work without a
contract, and only 27 percent of the world’s population is covered by
comprehensive social protection.
The report calls on
governments to formulate national employment strategies that take into account
the many challenges emerging in the rapidly changing world of work.
Sustainable work,
opportunities both for present and future generations
The report stresses
the key roles that work can play in achieving the Sustainable Development
Goals.
“The types of work
many of us do will need to change if our economies and societies are to make
genuine progress towards a low emission and climate-resilient future. These
changes will influence what the labour market of tomorrow looks like”, the
report states.
With green growth, new
jobs will be created, the nature of others will be transformed, and others will
end altogether. These changes ideally should be supported by systems of social
protection and safety nets.
The report argues that
work opportunities can be fostered by the global goals. It estimates, for
example, that around 45 million additional health workers will be needed
to meet the health objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals. That would see
the global health workforce increase in size from 34 million in 2012 to 79
million by 2030.
Setting the new agenda for work
While policy responses
to the new world of work will differ across countries, three main clusters of
policies will be critical if governments and societies are to maximize the
benefits and minimize the hardships in the evolving new world of work.
Strategies are needed for creating work opportunities and ensuring workers’
well-being. The report therefore proposes a three-pronged action agenda:
§ 1. A New Social
Contract between governments, society, and the private sector, to ensure that
all members of society, especially those working outside the formal sector,
have their needs taken into account in policy formulation.
§ 2. A Global
Deal among governments to guarantee workers’ rights and benefits around the
world.
§ 3. A Decent
Work Agenda, encompassing all workers, that will help promote freedom of
association, equity, security, and human dignity in work life.
