联合国亚太经社会：2022年亚洲及太平洋社会展望报告

The WorkforceWeNeedSocialOutlookforAsiaandthePacificESCAPINGFORWARDTOGETHER The shaded areas of the map indicate ESCThe Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the most inclusiveamong its 53 member States and 9 associate members in pursuit of solutions to sustainabledevelopment challenges. ESCAP is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations.The ESCAP secretariat supports inclusive, resilient and sustainable development in the regionand the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.*The designations employed and the presentation of materiaf on this map do not imply the expression of anyopinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country,territory, city or area or of its authonit/es, or concerning the dellm/tation of its frontiers or boundaries. TheWorkforceWe NeedSocialOutlookforAsiaandthePacificUnited Nations publicationSales no.: E.22.l.F.11Copyrighto United Nations 2022All rights reservedPrinted in BangkokPrint ISBN:9789211208436PDF ISBN:9789210018814Print ISSN:2618-1010Online ISSN: 2618-1029ST/ESCAP/3038This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational or non-profit purposes withoutspecial permission from the copyright holder, provided that the source is acknowledged. The ESCAPa source.No use may be made of this publication for resale or any other commercial purpose whatsoever withoutprior permission. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent ofreproduction, should be addressed to the Secretary of the Publications Board, United Nations, New York Foreword he engine of Asia and the Pacifics effort to achieve the 2030 Agendafor Sustainable Development is its workforce, The region's workersgenerate tax revenues essential to pay for public goods and services,which they also produce and deliver. Workers ensure the wellbeing of manydependent family members, Our workforce is the bedrock of our societiesand the engine of our economies. Yet today, the shortage of decent workthe lack of access to health care and social protection deny the majority of workers the means to fulfltheir potential. Our workers are illequipped to respond to ongoing and emerging megatrends of climatechange, ageing societies and digitalization.The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the workforce's vulnerability into sharp focus. It has demonstratedthe weakness of a status quo in which two thirds of the region's workers are employed informally, deniedaccess to affordable health care and social protection, It has laid bare the fragility of systems in whichreaching consequences, Asia and the Pacific's labour productivity has fallen below the global averageaffordable health care undermines our workers health and the life prospects of millions of families.affordable health care and social protection contributed to pushing 243 million people into povertyYet the case to support our workers better well pre-dates the pandemic. Vulnerable employment is stlltoday the norm. Megatrends compound these challenges. Ever more severe climate induced naturalchange to the world of work and unequal access to them is intensifying inequalities in opportunities,income and wealth. Population ageing means that the number of older people will double by 2050,making policies to support active and healthy ageing ever more urgent. In the twelve months thatpreceded the COVID-19 pandemic, half of the people in our region had at some point survived withoutcash income, a quarter without sufficient food and a third without necessary medicine or treatment.At the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, we are driven by theconviction that none of these vulnerabilities are inevitable. With the right policies, our region's workforcedesign of such policies has shaped the research and analysis of this report. Research and analysis whichdemonstrates, unequivocally, the benefits of creating decent jobs, extending social protection to all andensuring universal health coverage. It shows how Active Labour Market Policies can support a green andjust transition into decent employment and improve access to basic opportunities and livelihoods. Ourworkforce's health, its income security and productivity can be transformed by extending access to healthcare and social protection. These policies are a priority and are affordable to most countries. Concreterecommendations as to how these policies can be implemented are set out for your consideration.As we work together to build a sustainable and inclusive future, we have an opportunity to commit topolicies that make the workforce more resilient. Our hope is that this report can help build the workforcewe need: a workforce given the means to fulfl its potential and achieve the 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment in Asia and the Pacific.Armida Salsiah AlisjahbanaUnder-Secretary-General of the United Nationsand Executive Secretary of ESCAP A