国际劳工组织：2024-25年全球工资报告_140页_12mb

Global Wage Report 2024-25: Is wage inequality decreasing globally?

Core Content

The Global Wage Report 2024-25 examines global wage trends and the extent of wage and labour income inequality over the past two decades. It emphasizes the role of wages in shaping overall income inequality and poverty, and highlights the importance of addressing wage disparities to achieve social justice.

Main Points

1. Global Wage Trends

• Real wage growth was negative in 2022 but returned to positive values in 2023 and the first two quarters of 2024.
• Global real wage growth in 2023 was 1.8%, and in 2024, it rose to 2.7% (excluding China, 2.3%).
• Advanced G20 economies saw a return to positive real wage growth in 2024 (0.9%), while emerging G20 economies experienced a significant increase (5.9%).
• Regional differences persist: Asia and the Pacific, Central and Western Asia, and Eastern Europe saw the fastest real wage growth, while Northern, Southern, and Western Europe experienced modest or negative growth.
• Labour productivity in high-income countries increased faster than real wages (29% vs. 15%) between 1999 and 2024, with the gap narrowing after 2006.

2. Minimum Wages

• Minimum wage adjustments were widespread in 2022 and 2023, with 60% of 160 countries increasing their minimum wage.
• However, only 25% of these adjustments resulted in real wage increases, and 55% of countries saw real minimum wage growth in 2023, but it was often insufficient to offset previous declines.
• Global average real minimum wage increased in 55% of the 160 countries, but 45% remained below inflation, reducing purchasing power for low-wage workers.

3. Wage Inequality

• Wage inequality has decreased in about two-thirds of the countries for which data are available since the beginning of the 21st century.
• The 10% least-paid workers receive only about 0.5% of the total wage bill, while the 10% best-paid workers receive nearly 38%.
• Income inequality is more pronounced when including non-wage workers (e.g., self-employed, unpaid family workers), especially in low- and middle-income countries where non-wage workers form the majority of the workforce.
• Women and informal workers are disproportionately represented among low-paid wage workers, contributing to gender and informal pay gaps.

4. Labour Income Inequality

• Labour income inequality is influenced by both wage and non-wage earnings.
• In low- and middle-income countries, the inclusion of non-wage workers significantly increases the overall inequality, as these workers often earn less and are more likely to be women or in informal employment.
• The Palma ratio (ratio of the top 10% to the bottom 10% of wage earners) shows that wage inequality is still high in many regions, with the top 10% receiving a much larger share of the total wage bill than the bottom 10%.

5. Policy Recommendations

• Strengthen wage policies and institutions to address inequality.
• Tackle root causes of low pay, such as lack of skills and poor working conditions.
• Formalize the informal economy to reduce disparities between formal and informal workers.
• Promote gender equality and non-discrimination.
• Invest in skill development and public support for technological innovation.

Key Information

• The report is published by the International Labour Office (ILO) and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
• It includes data from 160 countries and survey data from various sources, including the Structure of Earnings Survey (SES) and Labour Force Survey (LFS).
• The Palma ratio, D9/D1 ratio, and decile-based wage gaps are used to measure wage inequality.
• China has a significant impact on global wage averages, and its exclusion affects the global real wage growth figures.
• Non-wage workers (e.g., self-employed, unpaid family workers) contribute to a larger share of income inequality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Conclusion

While wage inequality has decreased in many countries, it remains a major issue globally, especially for the lowest-paid workers. The report underscores the need for comprehensive policies to address not only wage disparities but also the broader structural issues in the labour market that contribute to income inequality. The ILO calls for cooperation and partnerships to implement these policies effectively and at scale, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 10).