Qualitative assessment of sustainable development indicators: Goal 8. Decent work and economic growth

Abstract

The article reviews the targets and indicators of sustainable development on the example of
Goal 8 "Decent Work and Economic Growth" at both the international and national levels. It
identifies several irreversible issues that arise when assessing progress towards sustainable development. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a decline in indicators at both the
international and national levels, making it difficult to objectively assess the achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, at the national level, there is a drop in indicators, partly
due to russian aggression, which further complicates the task of assessing progress. These specific
features of the national economy require a revision of the set of sustainable development indicators at
the national level. It is proposed to consider the inclusion of indicators related to the level of migration
to more accurately take into account the situation. An important systemic problem in assessing the
progress of sustainable development is the diversity of indicators, their differences at the global and
national levels, and their different nature. For example, some indicators at the international level can
be positive (such as the employment rate, the level of education of the population) or negative (such
as the unemployment rate, the level of informal employment). To assess sustainable development
indicators, it was proposed to use the qualimetric method, which has already been successfully used to
assess product quality. This method allows for a comprehensive assessment of sustainable
development progress, taking into account a variety of indicators.