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Global Labour Network

A curated directory of international organisations, research institutes, databases and publications covering labour markets and decent work worldwide.

45+ OrganisationsDatabases & Journals
International Organisations

ILO

The UN labour agency. ILOSTAT, NORMLEX, and country profiles for 187 states.
ilo.org →

World Bank Jobs

Jobs Group research, Jobs Diagnostic tool, and poverty-employment profiles.
worldbank.org →

ETF

European Training Foundation — VET and skills data for Georgia and the Eastern Partnership.
etf.europa.eu →

OECD Employment

Employment Outlook, Jobs Strategy, and comparative statistics.
oecd.org →

Eurofound

European Working Conditions Survey and living standards research.
eurofound.europa.eu →

EBRD

Life in Transition Survey and labour market assessments for the Caucasus.
ebrd.com →

Research Institutes

IZA

World's largest labour economics research network. IZA Discussion Papers and World of Work Reports.
iza.org →

CELSI

Central European Labour Studies Institute. GILS research partner for South Caucasus analysis.
celsi.sk →

ETUI

European Trade Union Institute. Collective bargaining profiles and Benchmarking Working Europe.
etui.org →

ISET Policy Institute

Georgian think tank with quarterly labour market reviews.
iset.ge →

Brookings

Labour research focused on informality and the future of work in developing countries.
brookings.edu →

GILS

Georgian Institute of Labour Studies — this site. Research partner for the South Caucasus.
labour.edu.ge →

Key Databases for Georgian Research
DatabaseCoverageAccess
Geostat LFSGeorgia — quarterly wages and employment dataFree
ILOSTATGlobal — 100+ indicators, Georgia includedFree
NORMLEXILO convention ratifications — all countriesFree
NATLEXGeorgian laws in English — ILO databaseFree
World Bank DataBankLabour and social protection indicatorsFree
Compiled by GILS. Additions welcome: info@accreditation.ge · labour.edu.ge
GILS Analysis
GILS in the International Labour Research Community

GILS is Georgia's primary interface with the international labour research and policy community. Through formal partnerships with ILO, World Bank, and EU institutions, and informal networks with academic and civil society organisations across Eastern Partnership countries, GILS connects Georgian labour policy to international knowledge.

The Global Labour Network section profiles GILS's international partnerships, research collaborations, and the institutions whose work most directly informs Georgian labour policy. It serves as a directory for researchers seeking Georgian counterparts and for Georgian stakeholders seeking international expertise.

Partnerships: ILO Decent Work Team (Eastern Europe), World Bank Georgia, EU Delegation, ITUC, Eurofound network.
Gap: Formal research agreements with international academic institutions are limited. GILS should develop joint research projects with at least 3 EU university labour research centres by 2027.
International Perspectives
What Other Institutions Say
ILO DWT EECA
GILS is recognised by ILO as a key civil society partner in Georgia. ILO cites GILS analysis in country reports.
World Bank Georgia
WB country team uses GILS Observatory data in operational work — labour market diagnostics, poverty assessments, social protection reviews.
Eurofound
Eurofound's Eastern Partnership network includes GILS as a corresponding member — enabling access to comparative EU labour data and research networks.
ETUI (European Trade Union Institute)
ETUI's Eastern Partnership programme engages GILS for Georgian civil society perspective on EU labour standards convergence.
GILS Position Statement

GILS's international positioning — as an independent, evidence-based research institution embedded in Georgian civil society — is its core comparative advantage. No other Georgian institution combines: ILO partnership, EU association engagement, domestic data access, and academic publishing capacity (GMJ). GILS should formalise this positioning through joint research agreements and co-publications with international partners.

— GILS International Engagement Strategy, September 2026
GILS Policy Recommendations
Five Priority Actions
Recommendation 01
Joint research agreement — ILO DWT EECA

Formalise relationship: co-authorship of Georgia country chapters in ILO regional reports; GILS access to ILO restricted data; joint working paper series. MoU signature: Q1 2026.

ILO DWT EECA partnership model · PHIG WHO relationship (precedent)
Recommendation 02
EU research network — 3 university partnerships by 2027

Develop joint research projects with: Friedrich Ebert Foundation (Germany); CELSI (Central European Labour Studies Institute, Slovakia); UCL Institute for Global Prosperity (UK). Each partnership: 1 joint paper per year; GILS researchers as visiting fellows.

CELSI model · FES Eastern Partnership · UCL IGP
Recommendation 03
GILS Annual International Labour Conference — Tbilisi

Host annual 2-day conference: Georgian labour market — international perspectives. International speakers: ILO, WB, EU, comparative country experts. Georgian participants: MLHSA, GTUC, GEA, Parliament. Media coverage. PHIG/GMJ institutional support. Target: 100 participants; 2 GMJ special issue papers.

PHIG conference infrastructure · GMJ academic platform · Tbilisi as conference hub
Recommendation 04
Eastern Partnership Labour Policy Network

Establish a network of labour research institutes across EaP countries: Georgia (GILS), Moldova (IDIS Viitorul), Ukraine (Cedos), Armenia (MPG). Quarterly online exchange; annual joint report: EaP Labour Standards Convergence Index.

EaP multilateral framework · ILO EaP programme · EU EaP Civil Society Forum
Recommendation 05
GILS research fellows — international visiting programme

Recruit 2 international visiting research fellows per year (3-month residency): contribute to Observatory data analysis; co-publish with GILS staff; connect to their home institution's network. Stipend GEL 15K/fellow (total GEL 30K/year). Fund via Open Society or EU Erasmus+ research programme.

PHIG/DTMU hosting capacity · Erasmus+ research exchange · OSF Georgia
ILO Standards — Georgia
Compliance Status
Convention / StandardSubjectRatifiedComplianceKey Gap
ILO PartnershipDWT EECAActiveStrongRecognised civil society partner; DWCP engagement
EU DelegationDCFTA civil societyActiveInformalNo formal research agreement; participation in monitoring ad hoc
World BankCountry partnershipInformalPartialData used by WB but no formal collaboration agreement