Governments must strengthen public employment services, according to the IDB, the OECD and the World Association of Public Employment Services (WAPES)

Governments play a vital role in strengthening the resilience of labour markets through employment services.

Governments play a vital role in strengthening labor market resilience through employment services. However, in a context of increasingly frequent shocks, it will be crucial to enhance their capacity to address persistent gaps.

Only 38% of countries offer a full range of public employment services (PES), including both income support and job placement programs. This finding underscores a persistent gap between expanded mandates and implementation capacities, according to the new report, “The World of Public Employment Services 2026,” which analyzed nearly 80 countries.This report was produced by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the World Association of Public Employment Services (WAPES). These institutions call for a more proactive, interconnected, and accessible public employment services ecosystem. This effort involves strengthening dialogue with employers, expanding reach to underserved populations, particularly through partnerships with social and solidarity economy actors, investing in personnel and digital skills, and improving coordination with social protection systems.