International Labour Organisation (ILO) Monitor- 9th Edition

May 24, 2022

The ninth edition of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Monitor report has highlighted that the “world of work” is being burdened due to multiple crises. The report has stated that after gaining significantly gains during the 2021s last quarter, the number of hours worked across the globe dipped in the 2022s first quarter to 3.8 percent below the pre-pandemic employment situation. The report states that around 11.2 crore jobs might have been lost during this period.

What does this report say about India?

The report highlighted India’s gender gap in the employment scenario. The report stated that said both India, as well as lower-middle-income countries, have experienced a deterioration in work hours in the aspect of the gender gap in the second quarter of 2020. But, since India’s women worked low hours the reduction in hours worked by women in the country only has a weak influence on the lower-middle-income countries’ aggregate. Compared to women, the reduction in the work hours of men in the country had a large impact on the recorded aggregates. The report has highlighted that for every 100 women working prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 12.3 women have lost their job. Compared to this, for every 100 the equivalent figure stands at 7.5. Hence, the pandemic has magnified the already huge employment-related gender imbalances in India.

What are the reasons for the dip in working hours across the globe?

The main reasons for the fall in global working hours are due to:

Russia-Ukraine conflict
fresh lockdowns in China
Rise of fuel and food prices across the globe

What has ILO asked its member countries?

The ILO has asked its member countries to take a humane and quick approach to address this spiralling situation. The potential debt distress and financial turbulence, along with the disruption of the global supply chain point to a growing risk of further deterioration in working hours in the year 2022. This will make a huge impact on the global labour markets. The report also stated that high-income countries experienced work hour recoveries but the low and lower-middle-income economies suffered more setbacks in the first quarter of 2022 with a gap of 3.6 and 5.7 per cent respectively when compared to pre-pandemic benchmarks.

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