Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted economies globally, the world is reminded today of the urgent need for strong partnerships to revive the development agenda and secure a shared future of prosperity for all.
The global health crisis reversed South-East Asia’s economic and development progress and brought 4.7 million people into extreme poverty. In 2020, the region experienced a sharp economic contraction of employment of 4 million people at the height of the pandemic.
Despite the region’s strong recovery from the pandemic with a GDP growth of 4.6 per cent in 2024, millions of workers are still left behind. Many countries in the region continue to face challenges such as high youth unemployment, informal employment and lack of access to decent jobs for groups in vulnerable situations.
The latest Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2025 : engaging communities to close the evidence gap reiterates that to achieve full employment and decent work in South-East Asia under SDG8, progress needs to be accelerated. Collaboration and exchange of good practices among countries facing similar labour market issues can bring about inclusive employment and just transitions to green economies in the region.
Read more about the ILO ProSSCE-ASEAN project.