Goal 8 of 17 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
Sustained, inclusive growth creates decent jobs and raises living standards. Over the past 25 years the number of workers living in extreme poverty has fallen dramatically, and in developing countries the middle class has expanded to more than a third of total employment.
The pandemic interrupted that trajectory: COVID-19 (2020–2022) triggered the deepest global economic shock in decades, costing hundreds of millions of jobs and pushing many workers into informal, insecure employment, and the recovery has been uneven across regions.
Decent work remains out of reach for many. In 2024, 244 million workers — 6.9 per cent of all employed people — still lived below the international poverty line of $2.15 a day. One in five young people aged 15–24 was not in employment, education or training, and young women were more than twice as likely as young men to be in that position. Informality, unsafe conditions and unpaid care work continue to shape who gets to work and on what terms.
Goal 8 asks for higher productivity and economic diversification, full and productive employment, equal pay for work of equal value, safe workplaces, and policies that let small enterprises grow and create good jobs.