Makalenin Dili
: TR
The United Nations (UN) has adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to guide efforts towards achieving sustainable development by 2030. This initiative, known as “Transforming Our World”, outlines an ambitious agenda. Among these goals, SDG 8 promotes sustainable growth, employment, and decent work for all. At the core of this goal is the UN’s aim to achieve economic growth in all member states through the concept of decent work. SDG 8 includes sub-targets to increase productivity, protect the environment through sustainable consumption and production, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, and ensure equal pay for work of equal value by 2030. It also aims to eliminate forced labor, end all forms of child labor, and protect the labor rights of all workers, including migrants and those in precarious employment.
The concept of decent work characterizes a general framework referring to individuals’ rights to work and employment, occupational health and safety conditions, social security opportunities, and the right to express themselves through trade unions or other mechanisms of representation and participation. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), decent work is defined as productive work that safeguards the fundamental rights of individuals, provides adequate income, and offers social protection to sustain their lives. In essence, decent work is productive work for all individuals, men and women alike, conducted in free, equal, safe, and dignified working conditions. Access to decent work is identified by the UN as a crucial priority for both employers and policymakers to promote social justice, foster sustainable economic growth, and achieve inclusive, productive employment. However, there are both opportunities and challenges in implementing successful decent work policies globally. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption worldwide, severely impacting public health, employment, and livelihoods. An inclusive and people-centered approach has become essential to mitigate the pandemic’s consequences. Although this goal is controversial in terms of its achievability, it is fundamentally attainable with the broad participation of all labor market actors. Given that the world of work connects all individuals in society, ensuring decent work is crucial for advancing toward a sustainable and inclusive future.
Despite international commitments to promote decent work and economic growth, significant challenges remain. According to the ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2024 report, global unemployment rates are on the rise, primarily due to increasing unemployment in advanced economies. As labor force participation rates decline and employment growth slows, global unemployment is projected to increase by 2 million, with the global unemployment rate rising from 5.1% in 2023 to 5.2% in 2024. The global job deficit remains high, approaching 435 million in 2023. The erosion of real wages and living standards, driven by high and persistent inflation rates and rising housing costs, is unlikely to be quickly reversed. Youth unemployment continues to pose a challenge for faster structural and labor market adjustments, especially in countries with high rates of young people neither in education nor employment (NEET). Rates of informality—a significant issue—are also not expected to improve further, with around 58% of global employment in 2024 remaining in informal work. Despite falling unemployment and positive employment growth, real wages have declined in many countries, as wage increases have not kept pace with inflation. Furthermore, the number of workers living in extreme poverty increased by nearly 1 million globally in 2023, with around 241 million workers living in extreme poverty.
These key challenges need to be addressed rapidly to accelerate progress towards achieving the goal of decent work for all. In this context, the aim of this study is to present the current situation regarding the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of “full and productive employment and decent work for all” and to discuss it in light of statistical indicators.
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