Cooperatives have a proven record of creating and sustaining employment. They have the potential to advance decent work in rural and informal economies by pooling resources, creating economies of scale, and generating negotiation power. They also have a proven record of preserving jobs in times of economic downturn and are often a business model of choice for enterprise restructuring to employee ownership.

The Cooperativa Integral de Productores de Carbón de Coocarbocuba (Coocarbocuba LTDA) was founded in 1984 against the backdrop of the commercialization of coal production in Colombia. The cooperative provides training to coal miners on “responsible” mineral processing methods, along with other technical, commercial and financial services.
© Asociación Colombiana de Cooperativas, Ascoop - Three coal miners on a lunch break

Social cooperatives provide social services such as the care of children, elderly and disabled people, and the integration of people with disabilities and unemployed people into the workforce. They are well developed in Italy, but also exist in other countries around the world. The Verlata Social Cooperative provides vocational education and training for persons with disabilities toward their integration into the workforce.
© Cooperativa Sociale Verlata - Two men working in a manufacturing facility

The National Institute for Cooperative Development (INFOCOOP) is a public institution in charge of promoting and developing cooperatives in Costa Rica. INFOCOOP supports small and medium scale farmers with support services for the production and marketing of pineapple, generating decent work and income for their families and the community.
© Instituto Nacional de Fomento Cooperativo (INFOCOOP) – Cooperative members working in pineapple processing plant

Workers in the informal economy often work without contracts, protection or legal recognition. They rarely have access to financial services, representation or voice. Cooperatives enable formalization by transforming what are often marginal activities into legally protected work better integrated into the economy. Construction workers’ cooperatives  improve their working and living conditions by providing long-term contracts. They also allow the members to bid for public and private tenders.
© Instituto Nacional de Fomento Cooperativo (INFOCOOP) - A woman engineer and coordinator of the group oversees the work

S Group is a Finnish network of consumer cooperatives, consisting of 20 regional cooperatives and SOK Corporation, operating in the retail and service sectors. They have nearly 40,700 employees, and are investing in employing young people. They run a summer jobs and training programme for youth.
© S-Group Finland - A young woman trainee working at a restaurant in Porvoo, Finland