Employment & Workplace

The vast majority of the world's poor work, yet few are able to work their way out of poverty. The Commonwealth publication ‘Mainstreaming Informational Employment and Gender in Poverty Reduction’ claim this is because those working in the informal economy face lower incomes, greater financial risks, lower standards of human development and greater social exclusion. This section considers improving employment opportunities for the people of the Commonwealth countries, looking not only at the problems of work in the informal economy, but also the restrictions to gaining employment, such as those affecting women and people living with disabilities. Improving employment opportunities for all parts of society could lead to significant economic benefits for families, communities and entire nations of the Commonwealth.