United Nations: Warning that macroeconomic and social policies have not been successful in lowering unemployment rates to desirable levels, a UN report says that while globalisation has helped highly skilled people to earn high salaries, those with low skills have been hit hard.

Added to it, the report stresses, the employment conditions are getting worse with increasing economic insecurity among most of the workers and increasing levels of inequality in the societies.

It asks the governments to make the promotion of employment and decent work the cornerstone of their economic and social policies. "Employment and decent work need to be not a by-product but a central objective of development strategies," said Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Sha Zukang at a press briefing launching Report of the World Social Situation 2007: The Employment Imperative.

"We see a number of worrisome trends," Sha said. "Globally, despite robust rates of economic growth, employment creation is lagging behind growth of the working-age population.

From 1996 to 2006,global output expanded by 3.8 per cent per year, yet unemployment rates increased from 6 to 6.3 per cent. Economic growth and job growth are not trending together, to the detriment of our societies and citizens." Meanwhile, he said employment conditions are getting worse, he said.

"There is a greater economic insecurity for most workers and greater levels of most forms of inequality in society. Workers with low education and low skills have been hit particularly hard," he added.

Source : PTI