ILO Calls on World Leaders To Create Employment Or Face Social Unrest

The International Labour Organization has released a new report warning global leaders of the dangerous effects that growing global unemployment coupled with economic crisis may have on their regimes.

The report entitled World of Work Report 2011, focuses on unemployment and social unrest. As governments across Europe, Asia, and other developed and developing economies such as Nigeria are introducing fiscal austerity measures which includes a slowdown in spending and employment, many young people continue to enter the labour market.

According to an excerpt from the report, “In 40 per cent of the 119 countries for which estimates could be performed, the risk of social unrest has increased significantly since 2010. Similarly, 58 per cent of countries show an increase in the percentage of people who report a worsening of standards of living. And confidence in the ability of national governments to address the situation has weakened in half the countries.”

This social unrest is said to be further aggravated by the income gap between the haves and the have-nots and is fingered as the cause of the recent crisis across the Middle East and North Africa.

According to the ILO’s report, such social unrest could become more widespread in coming months if World Leaders do not take drastic action to stem the rising strife.

The organization has called on G20 leaders who meet later this week to act urgently.

According to the report, over 80 million new jobs will be needed over the next two years in order to diffuse the situation.