Sustainable Development Goal: economic growth and decent work

Economic growth and decent work are the foundations of prosperity and social development — unfortunately, both are still a challenge for many countries.

UN Sustainable Development Goal 8 focuses on promoting sustainable, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. Although the global economy (formally) continues to grow and the unemployment rate is at historically low levels, the quality of work, the availability of employment and the fair distribution of income remain uneven - both between and within countries. This is a complex topic that requires looking not only through the lens of macroeconomic data, but also from a social and ethical perspective.

Economic growth

There are ongoing armed conflicts in the world, interest rates remain high, protectionism in international trade is growing, and the global economy continues to grow - albeit too slowly to actually improve the situation of the poorest. Such a diagnosis was presented by the World Bank in its latest report on the global outlook (Global Economic Prospects). According to the Bank's forecasts, world GDP will grow by 2.7% in 2025 and 2026, indicating a stable but unsatisfactory pace - 0.4 percentage points lower than the average of 2010-2019. This slowdown is the result of increasing, long-term tensions and crises, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.What are the inflation forecasts? Global inflation, which peaked at more than 8% in 2022, is expected to fall to an average of 2.7% between 2025 and 2026, which is approaching the inflation targets of many central banks. Although, as we know from experience, experts' forecasts do not always turn out to be accurate.

Although GDP remains the primary measure of economic growth, it is increasingly being criticized as an insufficient indicator of social development. A high gross domestic product does not always have a direct impact on improving the quality of life of citizens. Researchers, particularly in the fields of social sciences and so-called humanistic economics, point out that economic growth without a simultaneous equitable distribution of goods can exacerbate social inequalities, rather than reduce them. Examples are countries with high GDP, but where there are significant income disparities and limited access to basic public services such as health, education or housing. In contrast, the so-called welfare states, such as the Nordic countries and the Netherlands, which, despite the moderate pace of GDP growth, achieve high rates of social welfare thanks to strong income redistribution, developed welfare systems and egalitarian labour market policies.

The GDP indicator is important but imperfect, which is why alternative indicators measuring development are increasingly used, giving a broader context and complementing the social picture:

Social Development Index (HDI): takes into account life expectancy, level of education and income per person,
Happiness Index (World Happiness Report): measures, among others, social trust, interpersonal relationships and social support,
Quality of Life Index (OECD Better Life Index): examines 11 aspects of life, including work-life balance, safety, health and civic engagement.

This approach allows us to look at development not only in economic terms, but above all in the context of human well-being, equality and sustainable social development, which is particularly important when discussing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Unemployment rate: Poland, EU, world

According to the latest data from the Central Statistical Office, in April 2025 the unemployment rate registered in Poland was 5,2%. For comparison, in the same period of 2024, it was 5.1%. Over the past decades, the level of unemployment in Poland has fluctuated significantly - from around 20% in 2002 to today's record lows. The current situation can be seen as a success of the labour market and employment policy. On the other hand, such low unemployment can create difficulties for employers who have an increasing problem finding workers. It is worth recalling that during the difficult period of the political and economic transformation of the 1990s, as well as during the crises of the early 2000s, Poland faced a double-digit unemployment rate. At the time of accession to the European Union in 2004, this rate was as high as 19%. Today, our economic situation is definitely better, which shows how far Poland has come towards stabilizing the labor market and economic growth.

What is the current state of unemployment at European Union level? Methodological differences of measurements

At the outset, in order to read these data correctly, we must bear in mind that the figures for the unemployment rate published by Eurostat will differ from those reported by the national statistical offices. Therefore, according to the GUS, Poland will have an unemployment rate of 5.1% and according to Eurostat 3.3%. Why is this happening? Because Eurostat has a different methodology for counting unemployment. This is not a mistake, but simply the use of other definitions and measurement methods. Therefore, in the articles related to Eurostat data we will find “harmonized unemployment” (that is, a methodology according to the definition of the International Labor Organization; people who are not working, have been actively looking for work in the last 4 weeks and are ready to start work within 2 weeks) and articles related to the data of the Central Statistical Office “registered unemployment” (according to national national legislation: persons registered as unemployed at employment offices are not necessarily actively looking for work (e.g. they may be registered to have health insurance). Eurostat collects data from the GUS, but calculates the rate according to its own methodology and definition.

In April 2025, the harmonized unemployment rate in the European Union stood at 5.9%, remaining at the same level as the month before. Compared to the same period last year, it decreased slightly - by 0.1 percentage point. The highest unemployment rate was still recorded in Spain, where it reached 10.9%. Rates well above the EU average were also recorded in countries such as Finland, Sweden, Greece, Estonia, Latvia, France, Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium, Lithuania and Portugal (from 6.3% to 9.1%). Poland and Bulgaria (3.3%) are among the EU countries with the lowest unemployment, alongside countries such as the Czech Republic and Malta (both 2.7).

The International Labour Organization (ILO) forecasts that the global unemployment rate in 2025 will remain at a historically low level of around 5%. While the overall indicator remains stable, the ILO notes that the pace of economic recovery is weakening and the labour market is under pressure due to geopolitical tensions, climate change and growing debt problems. A persistent challenge remains high youth unemployment, as well as the return of informal work and working poverty to pre-pandemic levels. The lowest unemployment rate is in Belarus and Qatar (about 0.1%) and the highest in Namibia (36.9%).

Decent work

The concept of decent work (and. decent work) has been developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and addresses issues related to regulation, fairness, fairness, access and dignity. According to this definition, work should be associated with legal protection, contracts (elimination of undeclared work), safe working conditions (OSH), employment stability and respect for workers' rights. Work on such conditions consists of labor law, wage transparency, anti-mobbing laws and health and safety audits. Decent work also means employment free of exploitation, forced labour or child labour, and unfortunately it continues to be a serious challenge in many regions of the world. The pursuit of its universality is not only an economic issue, but also a fundamental issue of human dignity and social justice. Values, often enshrined in constitutions, are not always respected. The big problem is large corporations that cleverly circumvent labor law, which leads to violations in this area and also leads to evasion of responsibility. One of the more serious problems is also the lack of trade unions, which are the only ones capable of exerting influence on the fraudulent activities of large companies. Of course they exist, but they are often liquidated out of convenience and fear, and in fact they are one of the few social bastions that can defend workers from breaking the law at work in white gloves. It is a difficult but necessary activity of trade unions to protect the rights of employees, since large corporations often have the best lawyers specialized in protecting the good image of the organization.

summary

Although global economic growth continues and unemployment, at least statistically speaking, is decreasing, there can be no real progress without providing people with decent work. Stable employment, equal opportunities, security, transparency and respect for workers' rights are pillars without which sustainable development remains an empty slogan. Objective 8 should not be reduced solely to GDP indicators, but should be seen as a commitment to build an economy at the service of man and not the other way around.

Sources

Sustainable Development Goal: economic growth and decent work

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