" Labour provisions in trade agreements do not lead to a reduction or diversion of trade flows, and ease labour market access, a new study of the International Labour Organization (ILO) finds.



The research shows that a trade agreement which includes labour provisions actually increases the value of trade by 28 per cent on average, similar to 26 per cent for an agreement without labour provisions.



The study also finds that labour provisions support labour market access, particularly for working-age women. Labour provisions impact positively on labour force participation rates, bringing larger proportions of both, male and female working age populations into the labour force.



These are the main findings of the new ILO Growth with Equity report entitled “Assessment of labour provisions in trade and investment arrangements” which analyses the design, implementation and outcomes of labour provisions in trade agreements.



The study produced by the ILO Research Department highlights a significant increase in the number of trade agreements worldwide, showing that in 2014 almost 55 per cent of exports took place within the framework of bi- and plurilateral trade agreements – compared to just 42 per cent in 1995."

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