for the middle class, a number that has increased rapidly between 1991 and 2015. In spite of that, the global economy continues to recover; the world is seeing slower growth, inequalities widened, and low level of jobs opportunity that is not commensurate of the labour force. Employment growth since 2008 has averaged only 0.1% annually, compared with 0.9% between 2000 and 2007. Over 60 per cent of all workers do not have an employment contract. SDG 8 aims at fostering sustainable and equitable economic growth for all workers, irrespective of their background, race or gender. This means achieving “higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors.” Targets, indicators and progress The UN has defined the 12 Targets and 17 Indicators for SDG 8. The 12 Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these targets are achieved by using the years stated and documented for the indicators actualisation. Two of the indicators are to be achieved by the year 2020, one by the year 2025, and the remaining fourteen indicators are to be achieved by 2030, which sums it up to seventeen. Each of the 17 Indicators is used to measure the progress and the success of the decent work and global economic growth for all. Target 8.1: Sustainable economic growth The full title of Target 8.1 is: "Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular, at least 7 per cent gross domestic product growth per annum in the least developed countries". It has one indicator: Indicator 8.1.1 is the "Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita". Achieving higher productivity will require diversification and upgraded technology along with innovation, entrepreneurship, and the growth of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Over the past five years, economic growth in least developed countries has been increasing at an average rate of 4.3 per cent. In 2018, the global growth rate of real GDP per capita was 2 per cent. In addition, the rate for least developed countries was 4.5 per cent in 2018 and 4.8 per cent in 2019, less than the 7 per cent growth rate targeted in SDG 8. The COVID-19 pandemic is pushing the world into the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression. Target 8.2: Diversify, innovate and upgrade for