The International Labour Organization (ILO), is undertaking research into what works in addressing labour market challenges for youth during and after the COVID-19 crisis in Asia and the Pacific. In August Megan Lilly, Executive Director of the Centre, was invited to participate in an interview to inform the research.
The ILO has recognised that COVID-19 has resulted in massive disruptions to economies and labour markets in Asia and the Pacific, with disproportionate impacts for young people across three dimensions: (i) disruptions to education, training and work-based learning; (ii) increased difficulties for young jobseekers and new labour market entrants; and (iii) job disruptions in the form of reduced working hours, reduced earnings and job losses, along with deteriorating quality of employment.
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, governments in Asia-Pacific have adopted a wide array of youth-relevant policy measures in the socio-economic recovery process to stimulate economy and employment as well as to support enterprises, jobs and incomes. However the ILO is seeking more evidence about the effectiveness of these measures to inform youth employment policies and investments.
In this context, the ILO is conducting a regional analysis of youth-relevant labour market policy responses in the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis in Asia and the Pacific, which aims to provide lessons learned and inform policy makers on ‘what works’ to improve youth employment and labour market outcomes, with a particular focus on active labour market policies (ALMPs).
The research team is being led by Dr Adam Coutts, University of Cambridge.
