Event: Summer Academy on Sustainable Enterprise Development

Background

The ILO estimates that global unemployment reached 210 million people by mid-2010, 30 million more than the 2007 level. The number of people searching for work remains much higher than the number of jobs available in most countries. Furthermore, the rate of outof- work youth is on average double the overall unemployment rate. The world will need to create 440 million jobs over the next ten years just to absorb the workers who will join the workforce. The capacity of countries to react to labour market imbalances is slower than before the crisis. This is seen in high rates of informal and casual labour, a progressive increase in inequality, little or no real wage growth and insuffi cient social protection coverage. In most countries, the continued growth of the working-age population during the years of crisis has increased the challenge, as well as the urgency of addressing these imbalances. 

The ILO’s focus on business development aims to unlock the enormous potential of businesses to create more and better longterm employment possibilities in order to meet  the growing demand for jobs. During the last 40 years, the ILO has built a solid knowledge base with regard to business development and recommends tools and practical approaches to creating and supporting companies of all sizes.