Pacific labour market review 2020: Pre-COVID-19 baseline labour market information for post-disaster recovery

This report presents a baseline assessment of the labour market situation in the Pacific Island countries that was completed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, within the framework of the International Labour Organization’s Strengthening Labour Market Information Systems and Methodologies for Post-Disaster Needs Assessments in the Pacific Island Countries project, covering primarily three of the more disaster-affected countries – Cook Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. The project’s objective is to provide support to existing strategies for improving national labour market information systems and thus contribute to effective and sustainable recovery plans on employment, livelihoods and social protection, which is an important component of any Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA).

This report contributes to the first outputs of the project – labour market information systems integrated into national data collection systems in Cook Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu and the generation of updated labour market data, including relevant data on youth, gender and persons with disabilities. The report does not include any updated reference to the COVID-19 pandemic or even after. Although the report focuses on the PDNAs conducted due to climate-related disasters impact on labour markets, the conclusions on the labour data side are equally relevant for any disaster, including COVID-19.