Promoting Pro-Poor Growth: Employment

Employment is the main route out of poverty for poor people in developing countries. To make stronger progress towards the poverty reduction target of the Millennium Development Goals, policies of developing countries and aid donors need to recognise that most poor women and men earn their livelihoods in the informal economy and support the generation of more productive employment and decent work opportunities in both the informal as well as the formal economy. Increasing the employability of poor people, and particularly of women and youths, unlocks their potential to contribute to and benefit from economic growth.  Actions in these areas are of ongoing importance, but never more so than in the present global recession.

The report Promoting Pro-Poor Growth – Employment, prepared by the DAC Network on Poverty Reduction (POVNET), invites donors to support more fully developing countries' employment objectives and to pay more attention to the employment consequences of their aid expenditures. Based on evidence from developing countries and good practices in donor-partner country co-operation, the report identifies a number of key areas for action to improve the impact of their aid programmes on employment.

Policy Guidance Note: Employment

Download the publication by chapter:

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in these reports do not necessarily reflect the official views of the OECD or the governments of its member countries.

• Delponte L. (2009)  Review of Donors' Policies and Practices related to Employment and Labour Markets
• Ernst C. and J. Berg (2009) The Role of Employment and Labour Markets in the Fight against Poverty
• Hull K. (2009) Understanding the Relationship between Economic Growth, Employment and Poverty Reduction
• Huitfeldt H. and J. Jütting (2009) Informality and Informal Employment
• Rioust de Largentaye A. (2009) Vocational Training and the Informal Economy
• Coenjaerts C., C. Ernst, M. Fortuny, D. Rei, and M. Pilgrim (2009) Youth Employment
• Krogh, E., T.N. Hansen, S. Wendt and M. Elkjaer (2009) Promoting Employment for Women as a Strategy for Poverty Reduction
• Dayton-Johnson J., A. Pfeiffer, K. Schuettler, J. Schwinn (2009) Migration and Employment
• Samson M. (2009) Social Cash Transfers and Employment: A Note on Empirical Linkages in Developing Countries