Employment Situation in Latin America and the Caribbean. Labour market inclusion of young people and redistribution of care work: challenges and opportunities

After two years of a steady recovery of labour markets in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean, in the first quarter of 2023, labour market performance weakened in a context of slow growth. Moreover, the regional economic slowdown, likely to intensify from the second half of 2023 onwards, is expected to pose greater challenges for the continued increase in the employment rate, and for growth in both formal and wage-earning employment.

This twenty-ninth edition of Employment Situation in Latin America and the Caribbean anaylses the dynamics that connect the labour market to the unpaid, yet critical care work done to support social reproduction, which sustains life and economies. It highlights the importance of comprehensive care policies and the labour market and digital inclusion of women, especially young women. The region therefore has an opportunity to chart a new course towards sustainable development with gender equality, that has at its centre care of people and care for the planet.