Preface iv

List of Boxes xii

List of Figures xiv

List of Infographics xvi

List of Tables xvii

Acronyms xix

1 Public Employment Services and Today's Labor Market and Employment Challenges 1

1.1 Introduction 2

1.2 Labor Market Trends and Challenges: Implications for Public Employment Services 7

1.2.1 Demographic Changes 7

1.2.2 Technological Changes 8

1.2.3 Deceleration of Globalization 9

1.2.4 Increasing Number of Shocks 11

1.2.5 Migration 12

1.2.6 Labor Market Mismatches 13

1.2.7 Rising Income Inequality 14

1.3 Labor Market Developments and Public Employment Services across the World 15

1.3.1 Africa 17

1.3.2 The Americas 18

1.3.3 Asia 20

1.3.4 Europe 21

1.4 About This Study 24

1.4.1 Institutional and Policy Variations in Public Employment Services Worldwide:

Key Results from the 2024 Survey (Chapter 2) 24

1.4.2 Getting Ready for the Future: Digital Maturity of Public Employment Services

around the World (Chapter 3) 25

1.4.3 Towards More Resilient Economies: How Public Employment Services Can Support

Responses to Shocks (Chapter 4) 25

1.4.4 Managing Labor Migration: A New Role for Public Employment Services?

(Chapter 5) 25

1.4.5 Working in Partnership: The Social and Solidarity Economy and Public Employment

Services (Chapter 6) 26

1.4.6 Perspectives (Chapter 7) 26

1.4.7 Country Profiles (Chapter 8) 26

References 28

2 Institutional and Policy Variations in Public Employment Services Worldwide: Key Survey Results 35

2.1 Introduction 36

2.2 Public Employment Services as an Active Labor Market Policy 37

2.3 Public Employment Service Portfolios 39

2.3.1 Functional Responsibilities 39

2.3.2 Service Integration 41

2.4 Use of Policy Measures by Public Employment Services 42

2.4.1 Active Labor Market Policies 42

2.4.2 Placement Services for Job Seekers 43

2.4.3 Profiling 45

2.4.4 Identification of Priority Groups 46

2.4.5 Specialized Services for Priority Groups 48

2.4.6 Services for Employers 49

2.4.7 Labor Market Information 51

2.4.8 Labor Migration Services 54

2.4.9 Passive Labor Market Policies and Integration of Passive and Active Policies 56

2.5 Governance and Organizational Structure 58

2.5.1 Organizational Structure and Degree of Autonomy 58

2.5.2 Organizational Levels and Degree of Decentralization 59

2.5.3 Management Structure and Stakeholder Involvement 59

2.5.4 Governance Boards 60

2.5.5 Stakeholder Engagement 62

2.6 Public Employment Services Resources, Capacity, and Accessibility 67

2.6.1 Offices 67

2.6.2 Staff 71

2.7 Service Delivery Strategies 76

2.7.1 Digital Infrastructure 76

2.7.2 Partnerships in the Delivery of Active Labor Market Policies 77

2.8 Conclusions 81

References 85

3 Getting Ready for the Future: Digital Maturity of Public Employment

Services around the World 92

3.1 Introduction 93

3.2 Background 94

3.3 Digital Strategies and Approaches 99

3.4 Digital Service Delivery 104

3.5 Survey Results 106

3.5.1 Digital Strategies 106

3.5.2 Overall Digital Strategies 106

3.5.3 Back-Office Strategies 107

3.5.4 Front-Office Strategies 108

3.5.5 Data Strategies 109

3.5.6 Organizational Strategies 111

3.5.7 Channel Management Strategies 113

3.5.8 How Services Are Delivered 115

3.5.9 Digital Services 116

3.5.10 Current and Future Developments 118

3.6 Conclusions 121

References 124

4 Towards More Resilient Labor Markets: How Can Public Employment Services Support the Response to Shocks? 128

4.1 Introduction 129

4.2 Resilience in the Labor Market 131

4.2.1 What Is Labor Market Resilience? 131

4.2.2 Shocks and Labor Market Resilience 134

4.2.3 The Role of Public Employment Services in Strengthening Resilience to Shocks 135

4.3 What Role Do Public Employment Services Play in Supporting Labor

Market Resilience? 140

4.3.1 Global Patterns in Public Employment Service Capacity: Insights from the

World of PES Survey 2024 140

4.3.2 How Are Public Employment Services Responding to Different Types of Shocks? 148

4.4 Conclusion 172

References 175

5 Managing Labor Migration: An Evolving Function of Public Employment Services? 181

5.1 Introduction 182

5.2 Conceptual Framework to Analyze Migration Policies 185

5.3 Policies Managing Labor Migration 187

5.3.1 Regulatory Frameworks and Migration Policies 187

5.3.2 The Rationale for Involving Public Employment Services in Managing Labor Migration 189

5.4 Migration Services Delivered by Public Employment Services 190

5.4.1 Services Potentially Delivered for International Recruitment and Placement 191

5.4.2 What Are Public Employment Services Actually Doing? 193

5.4.3 Good Practices in Providing Services in Countries of Origin 198

5.4.4 Good Practices in Providing Services in Destination Countries 202

5.4.5 Labor Market Inclusion Services 205

5.5 Cooperation among Public Employment Services 212

5.5.1 Bilateral and Multilateral Skill and Mobility Agreements 212

5.5.2 Free Labor Movement Areas 216

5.6 Conclusions 218

References 220

6 Delivering Public Employment Services in Partnership: The Role of the Social and Solidarity Economy 225

6.1 Introduction 226

6.2 The Social and Solidarity Economy 229

6.2.1 What Is the Social and Solidarity Economy? 229

6.2.2 How Does the Social and Solidarity Economy Support Vulnerable Groups and Job Seekers? 233

6.3 Methods of Social and Solidarity Economy Support for Public Employment Services 236

6.3.1 Procurement of Employment Services 237

6.3.2 Direct Hiring of Job Seekers through Work Integration, Job Creation, and

Entrepreneurship 241

6.3.3 Advising on Policy 248

6.4 Policy Advice for Public Employment Services to Partner Effectively with

the Social and Solidarity Economy 254

6.4.1 Create a Level Playing Field to Work with Public Employment Services through

Adequate Policies, including Legal Frameworks 255

6.4.2 Put in Place Service-Delivery Contracts, Cooperation Agreements, and

Certification Processes to Support Job Seekers and Policy 255

6.4.3 Use Public Procurement and Project-based Financial Tools to Foster More

Engagement of Public Employment Services with the Social and Solidarity Economy 256

References 257

7 Perspectives 264

7.1 Introduction 265

7.2 Who Will Be in the Labor Force? 266

7.3 What Types of Jobs Will Be Available? 267

7.4 How Will People Find Jobs? 269

7.5 Implications for Public Employment Services 270

7.5.1 Redefining Mandates and Services 270

7.5.2 Expanding the Client Base 270

7.5.3 Supporting Transitions during Shocks 271

7.5.4 Strengthening Employer Engagement 272

7.5.5 Investing in Organizational and Digital Capacity 272

7.5.6 Embracing Integration and Partnerships 273

7.5.7 Increasing Resources and Sustainability 274

7.6 Conclusion 277

References 278