Public Employment Services (PES) have a strategic role in advancing decent work, improving the functioning of labour markets, supporting labour market transitions and strengthening access to employment opportunities for workers and enterprises all over the world. PES are central to the operational delivery of employment policies, including labour intermediation, career guidance, skills development linkages, employer services, support to vulnerable groups and coordination with active and passive labour market policies.

PES often operates in contexts marked by persistent informality, labour market segmentation, limited coordination between employment, training and social protection services, and fast-changing labour market needs linked to demographic, digital and green transitions. Informal channels remain predominant for job search in many countries, while employers may underuse public services. These challenges point to the need for more integrated, inclusive and effective employment service systems.

South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) offers a valuable modality to facilitate peer learning, document institutional innovation, support adaptation across comparable contexts and strengthen cooperation among ministries of labour, PES institutions, employers' and workers' organizations, regional bodies and technical networks.

ILO work in this area is grounded in ILO standards and guidance relevant to employment services and labour market governance, including the Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88), the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181), the Private Employment Agencies Recommendation, 1997 (No. 188), and the ILO General Principles and Operational Guidelines for Fair Recruitment.