At the plenary session of the B20 Task force in Paris on June 2, International Organization of Employers President Daniel Funes de Rioja set out the two principal recommendations of the Employment Task Force for facilitating skills development and ensuring flexible and inclusive labor markets.

Funes underscored the need for labor markets that include women and young people – two groups that stand to benefit from a regulatory environment that boosts participation rates.  He also made the case for removing barriers to diverse employment arrangements, such as part-time and flexible-hour contracts, for advancing the education of women in countries where there are deficiencies in this area, and improving child care facilities.

He noted that addressing the skills mismatch was key for keeping pace with rapid technological change and innovation, and in preventing the under-skilled from being left behind.

“I urge governments to involve national employers’ organizations, the IOE’s members around the world, in the development and implementation of G20 National Employment Plans (NEPs),” said Funes. “Employers have expertise and experience in the design of work-readiness programmers to bridge the skills gap and can make a substantial contribution to the NEP exercise.”

USCIB’s global network will continue to monitor progress in the G20 employment work stream. “Only by being accountable will the G20 become the engine for much needed labor market reforms to boost growth and jobs,” Funes concluded.