Abstract
The Update finds that progress in the labour market has been uneven across the region in the first half of 2017. With an uncertain global economy and facing varied demographic challenges, employment growth was weak or slowed in some key markets. Efforts to improve job quality had mixed results as vulnerabilities continued, especially in the persistence of casual work. Across four countries with data on casual employment, nearly one in four wage employees were employed without regular or systematic hours of work or an expectation of continuing work.