Employment and social protection

Creating jobs is essential to reducing poverty. In 2007 employment was formally recognized as a Millennium Development Goal 1 (MDG1) target as countries realized that economic growth had not translated into increased or better quality employment; according to the International Labour Organisation estimate for 2007, four out of ten workers were still poor.

Today, as a result of the global recession, unemployment is rising fast with an additional 50 million people worldwide expected to suffer the consequences. Many existing jobs in the formal sector are being stripped of their securities, while employment conditions in the informal sector are likely to deteriorate. Added to this, a significant number of any new jobs are either insufficient or insecure, providing little or no access to social security.

UNDP helps developing countries to work towards full employment as a way to achieve macroeconomic stability. The organization provides policy advice, carries out applied policy research and connects stakeholders through policy dialogue. Through this work, UNDP enhances countries’ capacity to ensure that labor markets and social protection policies are more interlinked – and more effective for poor people.