Exploring Asia Pacific’s Outlook on Decent Work for All
Photo: Calum Forsyth on Unsplash.
Decent employment is one of the prerequisites to building a good life. Yet, the road to achieving decent work for all remains bumpy, especially in light of global economic turmoil. In its flagship report, the International Labour Organization shared insight and outlook on employment and social aspects in Asia Pacific.
Decent Work Deficit
Around 4.3 billion people live in the Asia Pacific region. It is home to some of the world’s most populous countries, such as China, India, and Indonesia. Yet, despite the economic potential of the labor force, the region still faces many hurdles regarding decent work.
The 2025 edition of ILO’s “World Employment and Social Outlook” report finds relatively stable labor force participation since 2021. In 2024, the labor participation rate stood at 60.7%, meaning that around 2.1 billion people in the working age were actively working.
While South Asia still has one of the biggest gender gaps in participation globally, the subregion saw an increase in female labor participation from 26.9% in 2019 to 31.4% in 2024. Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate in Eastern Asia went down from 66.9% in 2019 to 65.3% that same year. South Asia’s female labor participation increase helped offset the decrease in Eastern Asia, which helped stabilize the overall participation rate in Asia Pacific.
Declining labor participation can be attributed to two things, the report notes, which are falling youth participation and ageing population. Youth participation itself declined from 51.9% to 39.3% between 2004 and 2024, one of the reasons being that young people were staying longer in education. Another contrasting factor is that the unemployment and youth NEET rates were high. Meanwhile, more and more people over 65 were retiring.
Opportunities and Changes
The report notes artificial intelligence (AI) and green jobs as among the developments that can change the job landscape.
While AI has been recognized for its role in accelerating digitalization, its incorporation into the workforce can lead to job displacement and augmentation. The report cites that in Malaysia, around 300,000 jobs have been lost to AI and automation since 2020. The Philippines faces a similar issue, with concern spreading over job displacement due to AI, especially in important roles like business process management. Overall, opinions on AI in the workforce still stand divided between growth and displacement.
Meanwhile, as energy transition becomes an increasingly vital global agenda, green jobs are expected to create more employment opportunities. In 2023, the Asia Pacific region accounted for two-thirds of global renewable energy jobs, mainly due to the development of China and India, the two most populous countries in the world.
Estimation by IRENA and ILO suggests that China alone accounts for 7.4 million renewable energy jobs (46% of the global number). India accounts for 1 million jobs, while the rest of Asia and the Pacific accounts for 2.3 million.
Structural Transformation Needed
Achieving decent work for all is integral to sustainable development. Therefore, a structural transformation is required to address the challenges and opportunities mentioned above. The report notes that prioritizing job creation, enhancing workers’ skills and knowledge, and implementing effective social protection systems are essential for structural improvement to enable sustainable economic growth. In this case, governments must build their capacity to navigate and realize this large-scale transformation for more productive, fair, and decent work for all.
Read the full report here.
Kresentia Madina
Madina is the Assistant Manager of Stakeholder Engagement at Green Network Asia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Studies from Universitas Indonesia. As part of the GNA In-House Team, she supports the organization's multi-stakeholder engagement across international organizations, governments, businesses, civil society, and grassroots communities through digital publications, events, capacity building, and research.
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