The ILO and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission agreed to pursue new research into macro and investment policies in order to create more and better jobs and forge an effective path to social justice, the organisations said. 

“Good research underlies good employment policies, and good employment policies underlie the advancement of social justice,” said Sangheon Lee, Director of the ILO Employment Policy, Job Creation and Livelihoods Department.

The new agreement will build on a three-year research project on “Building partnerships on the future of work ” which was funded by the European Union. The agreement aims to fill policy gaps and to better communicate the findings to policymakers and other stakeholders involved in the pursuit of social justice.

“Decent work for all is a proxy for social justice. This is why the areas of work we have opened are more relevant than ever, and we should continue to research and discuss them jointly,” said Mikel Landabaso, Director of the Fair and Sustainable Economy of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre.

The agreement between the ILO’s Employment Policy, Job Creation and  Livelihoods Department, and the JRC emerged at the conclusion of a high-level symposium on employment policies for social justice, held at ILO headquarters on 11-12 May 2023.

Keynote speakers, experts, academics, and other stakeholders argued for change during the two-day event, that the current macro and investment policies are sufficient to promote social justice. 

“Macroeconomic policies matter, but the strength of institutions matters just as much for the creation of more and better jobs,” said keynote speaker, Rick Samans, Director of the ILO Research Department.

Both workers and employers agreed on the need for more research and dialogue on employment policies in conjunction with social justice, said the ILO.