The Director-General of the International Labour Organisation, Gilbert Houngbo, has called for a bold rethinking of global economic policies to prioritise decent work, labour rights, and inclusive growth.
Speaking at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, Houngbo stressed the need for an integrated approach that positions quality employment as a central driver of prosperity and resilience.
“The global economy stands at a critical juncture, and the moment for decisive action is now,” Houngbo told international policymakers and financial leaders.
He warned that persistent deficits in decent work, particularly high informality, youth unemployment, and widening gender disparities, pose significant threats to global stability and development.
“Our world is filled with persistent decent work deficits,” he said, pointing to the lack of social protection for informal workers as a major concern.
“With an estimated 1.2 billion young people projected to enter the global workforce in the coming decades,” he noted.
“The connection between quality employment and prosperity can hardly be more evident or more urgent,” Houngbo added.
Houngbo criticised what he described as a fragmented policy approach where employment, labour rights, and economic growth are treated as competing priorities. “Too often, policymakers have viewed employment generation, rights protection, and economic growth as separate or even competing priorities, requiring difficult trade-offs.”
