This illustrated report not only aims to provide elected officials and decision makers with insight into the root causes of unemployment, but furthermore to suggest effective tools and recommendations for restoring a productive economy. The report contains a collection of case studies from around the world that aim to inspire members of the United Nations Advisory Committee of Local Authorities (UNACLA) and other local government officials to provide meaningful employment and decent work for their constituents. The report revolves around five principles of job creation and describes how cities can create productive economies through the interventions in each of these five areas: providing improved employment opportunities to all, harnessing the economics of urban form, innovative financing, enhancing the productivity of the informal economy and strengthening rural-urban linkages.

This report is designed to share, inform and hopefully inspire a wide variety of readers on innovative approaches to job creation and local productivity. UNACLA believes that the dissemination of good practice and the sharing of knowledge, especially by and among cities, can facilitate sustainable policies and solutions to the practical issues faced by cities.