Despite the region’s strong recovery from the pandemic with a

, millions of workers are still left behind. Many countries in the region continue to face challenges such as high youth unemployment, informal employment and lack of access to decent jobs for groups in vulnerable situations.  

 The latest Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2025 : engaging communities to close the evidence gap reiterates that to achieve full employment and decent work in South-East Asia under SDG8, progress needs to be accelerated. Collaboration and exchange of good practices among countries facing similar labour market issues can bring about inclusive employment and just transitions to green economies in the region.

The Global Development Initiative proposed in 2021 by the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, and supported by over 100 countries, aims to realize these goals and become a major driver of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly for countries in the Global South. As the largest developing country in the world, China has been a long-term partner of fellow developing countries on the path to common sustainable development in areas such as poverty alleviation, digital economy, and green development.  

 Thanks to good-neighbourly relations between China and South-East Asia to champion mutually beneficial cooperation, this important global initiative is actively being implemented in the region.

The International Labour Organization, in partnership with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of China (MOHRSS), is spearheading efforts to promote human-centred development in the world of work.  

 Through a South-South and Triangular cooperation approach, countries in South-East Asia and China regularly convene to share good practices and lessons learned in navigating the complex labour market landscape. The ultimate objectives are to ensure inclusive employment, public employment services and entrepreneurship development. It is through sustained collaboration with governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations and civil society actors in the region that lasting impact is possible.

© PERKESO

“Through ILO ProSSCE-ASEAN activities, PERKESO has benefited from regional collaboration, particularly in enhancing our Active Labour Market Policies and Public Employment Services Initiatives. Study visits and policy dialogues provided practical insights into digital integration and public-private partnerships. These experiences reinforced our focus on evidence-based policymaking and personalized employment services. Moving forward, these practices support Malaysia’s economic growth by improving workforce readiness, reducing unemployment, and ensuring inclusive, sustainable development aligned with national goals such as the Twelfth Malaysia Plan and Shared Prosperity Vision 2030,”

© Tarinee Youkhaw/ILO

From the peak of the pandemic to the region’s resilient journey during the economic recovery, vulnerable populations such as youth, women and persons with disabilities continue to be hit the hardest. In 2025, only 42.38 per cent of working-age youth and 54.96 per cent of working-age women in South-East Asia are projected to be employed or actively looking for employment. To provide inclusive access to decent employment opportunities in Cambodia, the ILO ProSSCE-ASEAN project has partnered with the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training and civil society organizations such as the Cambodia Team for Education Program Organization (CTEP) and l'Ecole d'Hotellerie et de Tourisme Paul Dubrule since 2023 to connect nearly 150,000 young jobseekers as well as those from marginalized groups with high-quality jobs.

© Tarinee Youkhaw/ILO

“As the country was just beginning to reopen for tourists, many employees could not get back into the job market. I feel so blessed that I got an opportunity to work in the hotel industry while many hotels, restaurants, and other businesses were still struggling with the economic crisis. For me, the career fair provided an opportunity to connect with the professional industry to learn about the job market, and also to know about what employers are looking for and also information about labour before entering the job market,”
 

© Ly Ly

© Tarinee Youkhaw/ILO

“The implementation of a structured, 4-tiered training program for employment counsellors plays a significant role in enhancing the quality and consistency of our employment services,” “Each tier consisting of Self-Training, In-Person Training, Roll-Out Training, and Workshops contributes to establishing fundamental competencies, developing practical counselling skills, scaling consistency and quality across regions, and improving the capacity of counsellors at different stages, ultimately leading to a more effective, inclusive, and supportive employment services for jobseekers. Therefore, better quality jobseeking and counselling experiences are expected. Capacity building for counsellors to progressive levels ensures that jobseekers are more well-informed and receive consistent support throughout their employment journey. As a result, the model contributes to improved employment outcomes, greater inclusivity, and higher satisfaction among jobseekers,” he added.

© Tarinee Youkhaw/ILO