ILO Helpdesk: Business and employment promotion

Governments should pursue an active employment policy designed to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment for all women and men.

Enterprises are the principle source of economic growth and employment creation.

The ILO MNE Declaration  encourages multinational enterprises to:

• Endeavour to increase employment opportunities and standards, taking the employment policies and objectives of the government into account;
• Regularly consult the competent authorities and national employers’ and workers’ organization to keep their staffing plans in harmony with national social development policies;
• Give priority to the employment, occupational development, promotion and advancement of nationals of the host country;
• Use technologies which generate employment, both directly and indirectly;
• Build linkages with local enterprises by sourcing local inputs, promoting the local processing of raw materials and local manufacturing of parts and equipment;
• Provide stable employment for employees through active manpower planning and observe freely negotiated obligations concerning employment stability and social security.

Youth employment opportunities are a particular area where companies can play a major role as young women and men (between 18 and 25 years old) are two to three times more likely to be unemployed than adults. Persons with disabilities face even more difficulties in finding decent jobs.