International Labour Organisation, ILO, has stated that current inequalities hinder progress towards greater social justice for all.

The Director-General of ILO, Gilbert Houngbo, said this during a recent meeting with European Union’s employment and social affairs ministers, chaired by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

According to Houngbo, the interplay between geopolitical, climate change and cost-of-living crises is worsening existing social inequalities and affecting the livelihoods of the most vulnerable workers and their families.

He added that post-pandemic economic and social recovery remained incomplete.

Briefing the ministers about the ILO’s report World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2024, he noted that the report estimated that an extra two million workers would be looking for jobs this year.

The report also indicated that the global jobs gap which measures the unmet need for employment stood at 435 million at the end of 2023.

Last year, real wages declined in the majority of G20 countries as wage increases failed to keep pace with inflation.

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