Save the date for the 2019 International Day of Cooperatives on July 6! This annual celebration of the cooperative movement led by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) in partnership with the United Nations takes place on the first Saturday of July and has been observed since 1923.

This year’s theme is “Co-ops 4 Decent Work.” By using the #CoopsDay hashtag, co-ops worldwide will seek to educate local, national and global policymakers, civil society organizations and the general public on how cooperatives are contributing to a decent working environment. As people-centered enterprises defined by democratic control, cooperatives create stable, sustainable jobs and a more inclusive economy.

Given today’s widening inequality, increased job insecurity and high unemployment levels—particularly among young people—the 2019 #CoopsDay theme was chosen to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #8: “Inclusive development and decent work.”

“Cooperatives help to preserve employment and promote decent work in all sectors of the economy,” said ICA President Ariel Guarco. “Through participation, members have the motivation to change their lives, their communities and the world.”

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According to the “Cooperatives and Employment Second Global Report” published by CICOPA, cooperatives worldwide employ or are the main source of income for more than 279 million people—almost 10 percent of humanity’s total working population. Research also shows that, in comparison with employment in other sectors, cooperative jobs:

• tend to be more sustainable over time
• show a smaller gap in earnings between higher and lower-paid positions
• are more evenly distributed between rural and urban areas

Stay tuned for the 2019 #CoopsDay interactive map and the cooperator’s guide to International Day of Cooperatives. In the meantime, download this year’s International Day of Cooperatives logo in English, Spanish and French and start sharing it with your networks!