New ILO report says US leads the world in labour productivity, some regions are catching up, most lag behind

While productivity levels have increased worldwide over the past decade, gaps remain wide between the industrialized region and most others, although some regions have begun to catch up, a new ILO report says, adding that major cause of world poverty is waste of workers' productive potential.

• Key Indicators of the Labour Market website

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is devoted to reducing poverty , achieving fair globalization and advancing opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. As a tripartite organization the ILO works with governments, employers and workers' organizations to promote the following interlinked aims: