Abstract
Asia and the Pacific stands out as the world’s top performer when it comes to economic growth, owing in large part to its dynamic labour markets. Yet despite the plethora of work in the region, work that qualifies as “decent” remains in short supply in many countries. Acknowledging the commitments made in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all” under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8, special attention is given to assessing the region’s prospects to advance decent work for inclusive growth and sustainable development. Where countries in the region fall short in their capacity to expand decent work and hence inclusive growth – as almost all countries do – the report suggests a course of action for advancing on a policy mix that can help to keep decent work front and centre in the development agenda.