ASIA-PACIFIC'S CALL TO ACTION

Shaping the living wage agenda:

- By Kaori Nakamura-Osaka

Asia and the Pacific is home to the world’s largest workforce. In recent years, the region has demonstrated remarkable resilience, with real wages (inflation-adjusted pay) continuing to rise even as they declined in many other parts of the world.

But this only tells part of the story. Different countries have very different wage dynamics, and within the region there are still 1.3 billion vulnerable workers including women, migrants, workers with disabilities and those in informal jobs - struggling with low pay, poor working conditions and rising costs of living. An increase in average wages does not automatically translate into higher purchasing power for these workers and, even when it does, it may still fall short of ensuring a decent standard of living.

ILO's global living wage programme launched in 2024 to strengthen wage-setting systems and data reliability

Minimum wages alone are not enough, a living wage ensures dignity and a decent standard of living

1.3 billion vulnerable workers in Asia-Pacific still face low pay, poor conditions and rising costs