This report addresses crucial issues of the times: deepening poverty and worsening inequality; fiscal consolidation - How should countries support recovery while meeting fiscal goals in the medium term? recent labour market reforms; The new study examines the performance of different countries since the start of the global crisis through the prism of the quantity and quality of jobs. The World of Work Report 2012 provides a comprehensive analysis of recent labour market and social trends, assesses risks of social unrest and presents employment projections for the next five years. The report emphasizes that while employment has begun to recover slowly, job quality is deteriorating and there is a growing sense of unfairness. Moreover, given the pressure on governments to rein in expenditure, policy efforts have focused on structural reforms to boost employment creation. However, if policy instruments are not carefully designed, they could exacerbate the employment situation and aggravate further equity concerns, with potentially long-lasting adverse consequences for both the economy and society.