Only one in four of the world's workers have secure jobs: ILO report

A new International Labour Organization (ILO) report estimates that only a quarter of the world's workers are on permanent contracts, while the remaining three quarters are employed on temporary or short-term contracts, working informally often without any contract, are self-employed or are in unpaid family jobs.

According to the Guardian, the ILO report warns that should this worldwide trend away from secure jobs continue, it could perpetuate a vicious circle of weak global demand and slow job creation.

The World Employment and Social Outlook 2015 (WESO) highlights the rise in part-time employment, especially among young women.

Based on a household survey data, the ILO found that only one quarter of workers worldwide has what it calls a 'stable employment relationship'.

Workers on wages or salaries still accounted for only half of global employment, with wide variations across regions.

The report's main author, Raymond Torres, noted that in developing countries wage and salaried work was growing at a slower pace than before the crisis, while in advanced economies such jobs were not growing and were declining in some cases.

The report also drew a link between widespread insecurity at work and rising income inequality in many countries and urged policymakers to consider extending social protection such as pensions and unemployment benefit to workers in less secure forms of employment.