'Economic upturn should encourage employment'

UNITED NATIONS (CMC):

The United Nations' Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) say the strong economic recovery of the region will make it possible to bring down unemployment significantly.

They said it could fall from the 7.3 per cent in 2010 to between 6.7 and 7.0 per cent this year.

In the latest edition of the joint publication, The Employment Situation in Latin America and the Caribbean, the two UN agencies analyse labour trends in the region, as well as the countercyclical policies implemented by some countries during the recent international crisis.

They recognise that, in many cases, such policies helped to reduce economic vulnerability, which, in turn, facilitated a faster economic upturn.

"This crisis saw greater concern for maintaining people's employment and income levels," said Alicia Brcena, executive secretary of ECLAC, and Elizabeth Tinoco, ILO Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, in the foreword to the document.