ILO: Employment and Social Trends 2026
The report points to a state of “fragile stabilization” in the global labor market. Although global unemployment remains at a relatively low level (4.9%), the pressing issue is becoming the quality of employment and deepening inequalities.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) report World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2026 presents a global diagnosis of the labor market for 2026, pointing to a phenomenon experts call “fragile stabilization.”
📊 1. Global unemployment indicators
Stabilization at 4.9%: The global unemployment rate in 2026 is expected to remain unchanged from the previous year. This means around 186 million people remaining out of work.
Jobs Gap: The ILO emphasizes that unemployment alone does not reflect the full scale of the problem. As many as 408 million people worldwide want to work but do not have access to employment (these are people who are not actively looking for work due to a lack of belief in finding it or because of systemic barriers).
⚠️ 2. Deteriorating job quality
Informal work: As many as 2.1 billion people work in the so-called gray economy (informal sector), which means no insurance, no stability, and low wages.
Working poverty: Around 300 million workers live in extreme poverty, earning less than USD 3 per day despite being employed.
🤖 3. The impact of technology and AI
Hiring freezes: Many companies around the world are delaying recruitment processes while trying to assess how Artificial Intelligence will affect their demand for specific skills.
Threat to young people: AI may hit those entering the labor market (juniors) the hardest, by automating tasks that have so far been their “entry threshold” into highly specialized professions.
📉 4. Inequalities and demographics
Two worlds: High-income countries are struggling with aging populations and labor shortages. Meanwhile, low-income countries have a huge increase in young labor force entrants, for whom not enough quality jobs are being created.
Women in the labor market: Progress in equalizing opportunities for women and men has stalled. Women are 24.2% less likely to be economically active than men.
🎓 5. The situation of young people (NEET)
Around 260 million young people worldwide are in the NEET category (not in education, employment, or training). This is an enormous untapped potential that creates a risk of social tensions.
In summary: Although the overall unemployment figures look good, the report warns of a “stalling of progress in job quality”. The global labor market is becoming increasingly divided, and economic growth does not automatically translate into better living conditions for millions of workers.
