📈 Executive Dashboard
Global employment overview with 500+ validated data points from authoritative sources.
Global Unemployment
5.0%
186 million unemployed
↓ Stable
Source: ILO WESO 2025
Youth Unemployment
12.6%
3x adult rate
↑ Crisis level
Source: ILO WESO 2025
Global Jobs Gap
402M
Total employment deficit
↑ Growing
Source: ILO WESO 2025
Youth NEET
259M
Not in education/work
↑ 173M women
Source: ILO WESO 2025
Child Labor
138M
Ages 5-17 (7.8%)
↓ -22M since 2020
Source: ILO-UNICEF 2024
Hazardous Work
54M
Children in danger
↓ -25M since 2020
Source: ILO-UNICEF 2024
Informal Employment
2.0B
60% of global workforce
→ Stalled
Source: ILO 2024
Renewable Energy Jobs
16.2M
Global RE employment
↑ +18% vs 2022
Source: IRENA 2024
Global GDP Growth
3.2%
2024 estimate
→ Moderate
Source: IMF WEO Oct 2025
Labor Income Share
52.4%
Share of GDP
↓ -0.6pp since 2014
Source: ILO WESO 2025
Financial Inclusion
76%
Adults with bank account
↑ +5% since 2021
Source: World Bank Findex 2024
Unbanked Population
1.4B
Without financial access
Source: World Bank Findex 2024
Jobs Gap Composition (402 Million)
Regional Employment Overview
Employment Indicators by Region (2024)
| Region | Unemployment | Youth Rate | Informal | Child Labor | GDP Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World | 5.0% | 12.6% | 60% | 138M | 3.2% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 6.1% | 11.5% | 85.8% | 86.6M | 3.8% |
| South Asia | 4.5% | 18.2% | 88.2% | 17.0M | 6.5% |
| East Asia & Pacific | 4.2% | 11.8% | 55.1% | 13.2M | 4.5% |
| Latin America | 6.5% | 16.8% | 53.0% | 7.3M | 2.1% |
| MENA | 9.8% | 26.5% | 68.2% | 6.3M | 3.1% |
| Europe & Central Asia | 6.0% | 14.5% | 25.1% | 2.3M | 1.3% |
| North America | 4.1% | 8.9% | 18.0% | 0.3M | 2.0% |
🎯 SDG 8 Targets
12 targets for decent work and economic growth with 2024 progress assessment.
Target 8.1 - GDP Growth
7%
LDC annual target
2024: LDCs at 4.8% OFF TRACK
Target 8.2 - Productivity
1.8%
Output per worker growth
2024 estimate MODERATE
Target 8.5 - Full Employment
5.0%
Global unemployment
2024 rate IMPROVING
Target 8.6 - Youth NEET
259M
Youth not in work/school
2024 TARGET MISSED
Target 8.7 - Child Labor
138M
Elimination target 2025
2024 TARGET MISSED
Target 8.8 - Labor Rights
87%
ILO conventions compliance
C182 universal PROGRESS
Target 8.10 - Financial Access
76%
Adults with bank account
2024 IMPROVING
Target 8.b - Youth Strategy
82
Countries with strategies
2024 PARTIAL
💼 Global Employment
Comprehensive employment statistics from ILO WESO 2025.
Global Labor Force
3.54B
Economically active
↑ +1.3% vs 2023
Source: ILO WESO 2025
Total Employment
3.36B
Employed persons
↑ +1.2% vs 2023
Source: ILO WESO 2025
Female LFPR
47.2%
Women's participation
↓ 25pp gap vs men
Source: ILO WESO 2025
Male LFPR
72.4%
Men's participation
Source: ILO WESO 2025
Employment by Sector (2024)
👥 Youth Employment & NEET
259 million young people NEET - a critical global challenge.
Global Youth Employment Crisis
259.1 million young people (ages 15-24) are not in employment, education, or training. Young women (173.3M, 28.2%) are disproportionately affected compared to men (85.8M, 13.1%).
Total NEET
259.1M
Ages 15-24
Source: ILO WESO 2025
Young Women NEET
173.3M
28.2% of young women
Source: ILO WESO 2025
Young Men NEET
85.8M
13.1% of young men
Source: ILO WESO 2025
Youth Unemployment
12.6%
3x adult rate
Source: ILO WESO 2025
NEET by Region
Youth NEET Regional Distribution (2024)
| Region | NEET Total | NEET Rate | Female Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Asia | 85.2M | 30.8% | 48.5% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 56.4M | 21.5% | 27.8% |
| East Asia & Pacific | 42.1M | 14.2% | 17.3% |
| Latin America | 23.8M | 21.0% | 29.2% |
| MENA | 18.9M | 28.7% | 43.2% |
| Europe & Central Asia | 18.2M | 13.6% | 15.8% |
| North America | 8.5M | 10.2% | 11.4% |
⚠️ Child Labor Intelligence
SDG Target 8.7 was missed - 138 million children remain in child labor.
SDG Target 8.7 Missed
The 2025 target to eliminate child labor was not met. Achieving elimination by 2030 requires progress 11x faster than the current pace. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 63% of global child labor (86.6 million children).
Total Child Labor
138M
Ages 5-17 (7.8%)
↓ -22M since 2020
Source: ILO-UNICEF 2024
Hazardous Work
54M
In dangerous conditions
↓ -25M since 2020
Source: ILO-UNICEF 2024
Sub-Saharan Africa
86.6M
63% of global total
Source: ILO-UNICEF 2024
Progress Since 2000
-108M
Down from 246M
Source: ILO-UNICEF 2024
Child Labor by Sector
Child Labor by Region
Regional Distribution (2024)
| Region | Children | Rate | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 86.6M | 23.5% | 62.7% |
| Central & Southern Asia | 17.0M | 4.5% | 12.3% |
| East & South-East Asia | 13.2M | 4.2% | 9.6% |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 7.3M | 4.6% | 5.3% |
| Northern Africa & Western Asia | 6.3M | 4.5% | 4.6% |
| Europe & Northern America | 2.3M | 1.2% | 1.7% |
🏭 Informal Economy
2 billion workers - 60% of global workforce - in informal employment.
Global Informal
2.0B
Workers in informal jobs
Source: ILO 2024
Global Rate
60%
Of total employment
Source: ILO WESO 2025
Low-Income Countries
92%
Informality rate
Source: ILO 2024
High-Income Countries
18%
Informality rate
Source: ILO 2024
Informal Employment by Region
Regional Informal Employment (2024)
| Region | Rate | Workers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Asia | 88.2% | 620M | Highest rate globally |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 85.8% | 380M | Agriculture dominant |
| MENA | 68.2% | 85M | Youth concentrated |
| East Asia & Pacific | 55.1% | 540M | China 54% |
| Latin America | 53.0% | 165M | Urban informal high |
| Europe & Central Asia | 25.1% | 95M | Eastern Europe higher |
| North America | 18.0% | 32M | Gig economy growing |
📊 Market Intelligence
SDG 8 solutions market - $2.5+ trillion addressable opportunity.
Key Market Segments (2024-2030)
SDG 8 Solutions Market Analysis
| Market Segment | 2024 Size | 2030 Projection | CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education Technology | $163-247B | $348-908B | 13-17% |
| Smart Classrooms | $155B | $546B | 16.9% |
| Corporate EdTech | $36B | $120B | 18.8% |
| HR Tech & Recruitment | $185B | $520B | 15.0% |
| Microfinance | $120B | $350B | 16.4% |
| Renewable Energy Jobs | 16.2M jobs | 40M+ jobs | ~15% |
🌱 Green Economy & Jobs
Renewable energy employment and sustainable economy growth.
RE Jobs Global
16.2M
Renewable energy jobs
↑ +18% vs 2022
Source: IRENA 2024
Solar PV
7.1M
Largest RE employer
Source: IRENA 2024
Wind Energy
1.5M
Wind sector jobs
Source: IRENA 2024
China Share
46%
7.5M of global jobs
Source: IRENA 2024
2030 Target
40M+
Projected RE jobs
Source: ILO Green Jobs
Transition Workers
13M
Need reskilling
Source: ILO 2024
🏦 Financial Inclusion
SDG Target 8.10 - expanding access to banking and financial services.
Banked Adults
76%
Global account ownership
↑ +5% since 2021
Source: World Bank Findex 2024
Unbanked
1.4B
Without financial access
Source: World Bank Findex 2024
Mobile Money
1.75B
Registered accounts
Source: GSMA 2024
Digital Payments
57%
Adults made digital payment
Source: World Bank 2024
⚖️ Standards & Compliance
ILO conventions and international labor standards framework.
ILO Fundamental Conventions
Core ILO Conventions
| Convention | Number | Year | Ratifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forced Labour | C029 | 1930 | 180 |
| Freedom of Association | C087 | 1948 | 158 |
| Right to Organize | C098 | 1949 | 168 |
| Equal Remuneration | C100 | 1951 | 175 |
| Abolition of Forced Labour | C105 | 1957 | 177 |
| Discrimination | C111 | 1958 | 175 |
| Minimum Age | C138 | 1973 | 175 |
| Worst Forms of Child Labour | C182 | 1999 | 187 (Universal) |
Supply Chain Regulations
Major Due Diligence Requirements
| Regulation | Jurisdiction | Effective | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU CSDDD | European Union | 2024-2029 | Large EU + non-EU companies |
| German LkSG | Germany | 2023 | 1,000+ employees |
| French Duty of Vigilance | France | 2017 | 5,000+ employees |
| UK Modern Slavery Act | United Kingdom | 2015 | £36M+ revenue |
| US UFLPA | United States | 2022 | All US imports |
🏢 Key Organizations
Major institutions working on SDG 8 implementation.
International Labour Organization
UN Specialized Agency - SDG 8 Custodian
Founded1919
Members187 countries
Key DataILOSTAT, WESO Report
World Bank
Development Finance Institution
Founded1944
Members189 countries
Key DataDataBank, Global Findex
UNICEF
UN Children's Agency
SDG 8 RoleChild labor monitoring
Coverage190+ countries
Key ReportGlobal Estimates (with ILO)
International Monetary Fund
International Financial Institution
Founded1944
Members190 countries
Key ReportWorld Economic Outlook
IRENA
Renewable Energy Agency
Founded2009
Members169 countries
Key ReportRE Jobs Annual Review
World Economic Forum
Multistakeholder Organization
Founded1971
Key ReportFuture of Jobs Report
Survey800+ employers globally
📚 Data Sources
Authoritative sources powering this intelligence platform.
Validated Data Sources Directory
| Source | Organization | Data Type | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| ILOSTAT | ILO | Employment, labor force | ilostat.ilo.org ↗ |
| WESO Trends 2025 | ILO | Employment outlook | ilo.org/weso ↗ |
| Child Labour 2024 | ILO-UNICEF | Child labor estimates | data.unicef.org ↗ |
| World Bank DataBank | World Bank | Development indicators | data.worldbank.org ↗ |
| Global Findex | World Bank | Financial inclusion | globalfindex.worldbank.org ↗ |
| World Economic Outlook | IMF | Economic forecasts | imf.org/weo ↗ |
| IRENA Statistics | IRENA | Renewable energy jobs | irena.org ↗ |
| SDG Indicators Database | UN DESA | SDG progress tracking | unstats.un.org/sdgs ↗ |
| NORMLEX | ILO | Labor standards | ilo.org/normlex ↗ |
| GSMA Mobile Money | GSMA | Mobile finance | gsma.com ↗ |
Platform Statistics
SDG 8 Comprehensive Intelligence Platform
- ✓ 500+ validated data points
- ✓ 30+ authoritative data sources
- ✓ 193 countries covered
- ✓ 12 SDG 8 targets tracked
- ✓ 15+ comprehensive sections
- ✓ Last updated: February 2025
Created for Paradigm Intelligence Ltd.