ILO survey urges better job quality to attract youth to Mongolia’s cashmere sector

The research was conducted by the Korea Labor and Employment Service (KLES) between March and November 2025 under the Youth Employment Promotion Project (YEPP) in Mongolia.

Improving job quality—not just raising wages—is critical to attracting and retaining young workers in Mongolia’s cashmere sector, according to new survey findings released by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The research was conducted by the Korea Labor and Employment Service (KLES) between March and November 2025 under the Youth Employment Promotion Project (YEPP) in Mongolia. The project is funded through the ILO–Korea Partnership Programme (I-KORP) and focuses on strengthening decent employment opportunities for young people in key industries.

The survey involved nearly 600 respondents and examined employment structures, labour demand, skills requirements, working conditions and youth preferences within Mongolia’s cashmere industry—one of the country’s most important export-oriented sectors.

Findings show persistent labour shortages of between 10 and 20 per cent across the sector, alongside high employee turnover, particularly during the initial stages of employment. These trends point to structural challenges in job quality and working conditions rather than wage levels alone.

Young respondents identified opportunities for skills development, supportive workplace relationships, and low-stress, safe working environments as decisive factors when choosing jobs and deciding whether to stay. The results suggest that without improvements in these areas, the sector will continue to struggle to attract and retain younger workers, despite its economic importance.

The findings were presented and discussed at a multi-stakeholder workshop held in Ulaanbaatar from 17 to 21 November 2025. Representatives from government, employers’ organisations and trade unions explored ways to translate the evidence into concrete policy and enterprise-level actions to strengthen youth employment in the cashmere industry.

Proposed measures included improving human resource management practices at the enterprise level, expanding access to skills upgrading and training programmes, and strengthening school-to-work transition pathways for young people entering the sector. Participants also discussed options for extending and scaling up I-KORP-supported initiatives beyond 2027.

During the workshop, five cashmere enterprises that have been piloting the ILO’s SCORE (Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises) programme shared early results and examples of good practice. SCORE aims to improve productivity and working conditions in small and medium-sized enterprises by promoting better workplace cooperation, quality management and human resource development.

Preliminary outcomes from the pilot enterprises indicate improvements in workplace organisation, communication and cooperation between management and workers. Plans are now in place to deepen the programme’s focus on youth employment expansion from 2026 onwards.

“The message from young people is unmistakable: decent work is about more than wages,” said Shin Hochul, Chief Technical Adviser of the ILO–Korea Partnership Programme. “To attract and retain youth in Mongolia’s cashmere sector, enterprises must invest in skills development, strengthen workplace cooperation and create safe, supportive environments where young workers can thrive.”

The Youth Employment Promotion Project is being implemented in close partnership with Mongolia’s Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Protection, the Mongolian Wool and Cashmere Association, and the Mongolian Industrial Trade Union Federation. Together, the partners aim to ensure that the cashmere sector can provide decent, productive and sustainable employment opportunities for Mongolia’s young women and men, supporting both economic growth and social development.