Global Labour Governance by Numbers: A Comparison of the ILO and OECD

Abstract

The emergence of governance by numbers (GBN) has seen the increasing use of metrics to influence government and corporate behaviour, but its uptake varies significantly across international organisations. This study examines the adoption of GBN in global labour governance at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Using a comparative institutional approach, we highlight the ILO's resistance to developing indicators of decent work and economic performance, despite support from the labour movement. Conversely, the OECD has fully embraced GBN through labour market performance measurements, which makes some of its normative proposals less visible due to their qualitative nature. We conclude that the adoption of GBN is not inevitable and depends on the organisational cultures and structures of international organisations.