Decent work in the circular economy

Decent Work in the Circular Economy: An Overview of the Existing Evidence Base is a joint report by Circle Economy, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE) Programme of the World Bank, with support from the Goldschmeding Foundation.

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This report is the first output of the broader ‘Jobs in the Circular Economy’ initiative between the three partners. The initiative aims to identify multiple gaps in the evidence base for circular jobs through collaboration with an international community of research institutions, industry representatives, social partners, governments and public bodies.

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The report explores research gaps and five key themes that summarise the focus of the current evidence base. These themes represent crucial opportunities and challenges regarding the circular economy’s ability to create a more just and inclusive society—including labour market and sectoral transformation, informality and the circular economy, work reallocation and skills development, working conditions and social protection, and gender discrimination and social equity.

With this report, Circle Economy, the ILO and S4YE put forth a call to action to realise the full potential of the circular economy by generating better evidence in three main areas:

1. More in-depth and inclusive research on decent work and the circular economy.
2. Global and social justice-led research and policy.
3. Joint advocacy and data partnerships.

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