The ILO considers that the employment situation in the region is “worrisome”

Ecuadornews:

The 19th American Regional Meeting of the International Labor Organization (ILO) began in Panama City on Tuesday, October 2, with the presence of delegations from 35 countries.

Prior to the official opening of the meeting, the Director General of the ILO, Guy Ryder, held a press conference before media throughout the region, in which he described as “worrying” the employment situation currently facing the American continent because of the economic slowdown that countries face.

The unemployment rate in the region reached 8.1% in 2017, the highest recorded during the last decade and the first half of 2018 amounted to 8.8%. The indicator has been rising since 2014, when it was 6.1%, the lowest in 10 years.

“A few months ago we thought that the upward trend would stop and although the second semester tends to be reduced, it is unlikely that the negative trend of recent years will be reversed.” Informality is another of the continent’s greatest challenges, Ryder said.

This phenomenon currently affects 140 million people, that is, 53% of the population, including agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. Venezuelan migration, youth unemployment, gender inequality in labor issues and social dialogue as a tool to find solutions to labor problems will be other issues addressed in the regional meeting that will conclude on October 5. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/economia/4/director-oit-situacion-empleo-region