Despite the UNSDG’s call for promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and full and productive employment, progress toward realising economic growth and decent work for all remains “elusive and fragile”.
Besides the global health emergency from COVID-19, the pandemic also triggered a global financial crisis that reversed significant economic growth and employment gains. The war in Ukraine has also resulted in further setbacks to global growth, and will continue to pressure the realisation of all 17 UNSDGS.
Although improvements in unemployment became visible in late 2021, “global economic recovery has been hampered by rising inflationary pressures, major supply-chain disruptions, policy uncertainties and persistent labour market challenges” (United Nations, 2023).
In particular, developing economies are experiencing a less robust recovery and continue to “struggle with weak economic growth and labour market fallout because of workplace closures”. Various developing economies, including Ghana and Zambia among others, reached out to the IMF and World Bank to help shore-up their dwindling finances. Today, according to the UNSDG’s Report, “Many small firms, particularly those in low-and lower-middle-income countries, are especially disadvantaged with limited capacity to remain viable” (Sustainable Development Goals Report, 2022).
The report highlighted that: “In 2021, global output per worker rebounded sharply, rising by 3.2 per cent; however, productivity in LDCs declined by 1.6 percent. The average worker in a high-income country produced 13.6 times more output than the average worker in a low-income country in 2021” (2022). Labour market groups most affected by the pandemic, including women, youth and persons with disabilities, will be the last to recover economically from the crisis. These groups continue to be the most affected by education and employment disruptions. Specifically, “youth training, education and employment have suffered massive disruptions, with women facing the biggest challenges,” The report affirmed.
According to the report, “The proportion of the world’s youth not engaged in either education, employment or training (NEET) increased from 21.8 percent in 2015–2019 to 23.3 percent in 2020 because of the pandemic.”
In 2020, almost 20 million more women and men aged 15 to 24 were not involved in education or employment compared to 2015–2019. The report notes: “Globally, young women are much more likely than young men to find themselves unemployed without education or some form of training programme to fall back on. In 2020, the NEET rate was 31.5 percent for young women, compared to 15.7 percent for young men.
“The ongoing impact of pandemic-related disruptions on the increase in child-labour being experienced globally is a significant concern. The UN also disclosed that “160 million children (63 million girls and 97 million boys) were engaged in child-labour at the beginning of 2020. This was an increase of 8.4 million children since 2016” (2022).
This means that approximately 1 out of 10 children were engaged in child-labour during 2020 – nearly half of whom were “involved in hazardous work that directly jeopardises their health, safety or morals” (Sustainable Development Goals Report, 2022).
These continued strained economic challenges do not bode well for the pursuit of Goal 8 of the UNSDGs.
Goal 8 promotes sustained, inclusive, sustainable economic growth; full and productive employment; and decent work for all. Their broad targets include:
- Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular, at least 7 percent gross domestic product growth per annum in the least developed countries
- Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation; including through a focus on high-value-added and labour-intensive sectors
- Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation; and encourage the formalisation and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
- Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production; and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation in accordance with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead
- By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities; and equal pay for work of equal value
- Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking; and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child-labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers – and by 2025 end child-labour in all its forms
- Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers – in particular women migrants and those in precarious employment
- By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
- Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all
- Increase Aid for Trade support for developing countries, in particular least developed countries; including through the Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries
- By 2020, develop and operationalise a global strategy for youth employment; and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organisation.
Based on these, it is already clear that some targets still need to be met. As it stands, the overall potential for this Goal to be realised does not look optimistic.
According to the United Nations Development Programme’s 2021 Decent jobs and sustainable livelihood in Ghana: Policy Brief, when it comes to decent jobs in Ghana, challenges primarily relate to the fact that in Ghana:
- the rate of employment lags behind the rate of economic growth, and
- reported data give the impression that the labour market has high levels of labour participation and low levels of unemployment. At the same time, anecdotal evidence shows that most jobs in Ghana are in low productivity, self-employment and informal sector activities that generate limited earnings and lack social protection.
The Policy Brief notes that Ghana “experienced unprecedented economic growth rates. But rising inequality in the country would seem to suggest that growth has not generated productive and decent-paying jobs for all”.
According to the Policy Brief, the Ghana Statistical Service estimates that:
- about 10 percent of the working population in the country is underemployed, and most are in unskilled agriculture/fishery (42.2 percent).
- The remaining underemployed are in service/sales (20.4 percent) and craft and related trades (19.3 percent).
- The highest proportions of underemployed persons are in the 25-29 (15.3 percent) and 30-34 (15.2 percent) age groups.
- The child labour rate is 21.8 percent, representing 1.9 million children.
The compelling evidence presented in this Policy Brief perfectly aligns with the prevailing global trends which emphasise the significance of creating ample opportunities for decent work that benefits all individuals. It sheds light on the current state of affairs and showcases the unfortunate truth that Ghana, despite its efforts, still needs to work on making satisfactory progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 8. This stark reality highlights the need for immediate action and targetted strategies to bridge this gap and ensure that every individual in Ghana has access to dignified and fulfilling employment opportunities.
To conclude, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) have set ambitious goals for sustainable economic growth and job creation. While there have been some positive developments, progress in certain areas lags behind. World leaders and policymakers must carefully consider the impact of their decisions. Distinguishing between meaningful progress and symbolic gestures is crucial, particularly when it comes to the welfare of citizens, especially the younger generation. By doing so, they can ensure that their policies have a lasting impact on society – promoting sustainable development and prosperity for all.
>>>The writer is an international chartered director and Africa’s first-ever appointed Professor Extraordinaire for Industrialisation and Supply Chain Governance. He is the CEO of PanAvest International and the founding non-executive chairman of MY-future YOUR-Future and OUR-Future (MYO) and the “thought-provoking” daily Nyansa Kasa (words of wisdom) series. Professor Boateng is currently non-executive chairman of the Minerals Income and Investment Fund (MIIF). He was previously non-executive chairman of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA). For more information on Nyansakasa, visit www.myoglobal.org and www.panavest.com
