ILO: Brazil reduces informality in youth employment

A report entitled “Decent Work and Youth in Latin America: Policies for Action”, published on Thursday (Feb. 13) by the International Labor Organization (ILO), shows a decrease in the number of informal jobs among young people in Brazil – from 52.6% in 2007 to 41.6% in 2011. The document shows that socioeconomic factors and public policies account for the rise in formal employment in Brazil’s labor market.

The survey further indicates that the probability of unemployment among young people in the country has been kept steady – around 20%, whereas the general rate is 7%.

According to the ILO, nationwide economic policies have stimulated the demand for more workers in formal positions, whereas demographic changes and young people’s lowered school dropout rates have contributed to reduce the supply of young workers to the labor market. Law changes have also promoted further formalization.

The ILO states that, as regards youth employment, specially designed measures should be taken in order to meet the needs of this section of the population. ILO’s report emphasizes that there is no single recipe, and that the situation is different in each country, but examples of innovative experiences can be adapted.

Some of these experiences point towards improvements and expansions in training programs as a means to facilitate the transition between school and work life. Their purpose is to make young people better qualified when looking for a job, so they can meet the needs of the market.  Furthermore, programs aimed at helping young people through bureaucratic processes should also be supported.

“Over the last years, we’ve gained a lot of experience on how to face the obstacles young people stumble on when they enter the labor market. The challenge lies in putting it into practice, broaden its application, both geographically and temporally, and enhance its planning so that it becomes efficient,” said ILO Regional Coordinator for Youth Employment Guillermo Dema.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira