According to ILO news, with more than 201 million workers unemployed in 2017, an increase of 3.4m compared to 2016, enterprises, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), play a crucial role in creating decent jobs around the globe. ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook 2017: Sustainable Enterprises and Jobs Between 2003 and 2016 reports the number of full-time employees within SMEs nearly doubled. However, between 2015 and 2016 the contribution of SMEs to total employment remained virtually unchanged, increasing from 34.6% to 34.8%. According to the report, private sector enterprises employed 2.8bn individuals, which represents 87% of total employment. The report notes that trading firms have higher productivity and pay higher wages than those firms not engaged in trade.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 10, 2017 02:37 UTC