Development of a De Jure Indicator on Recruitment Fees and Related Costs Complementary to SDG Indicator 10.7.1

Funded by: International Labor Organization. 

This project develops a de jure indicator on recruitment fees and related costs to complement Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 10.7.1, which measures the recruitment costs borne by workers. The indicator was developed through a consultative process involving technical experts and stakeholders to ensure its conceptual validity, policy relevance, and practical applicability. Following its development, the methodology was piloted in ten countries to assess feasibility, consistency, and reliability across diverse legal and institutional contexts. The project is currently developing a weighting scheme using the Delphi methodology, enabling expert consensus on the relative importance of the indicator's components. By providing a standardised measure of countries' legal and regulatory frameworks governing recruitment fees and related costs, the indicator supports governments, the International Labour Organization, and other stakeholders in monitoring progress towards fair recruitment, identifying policy gaps, and strengthening evidence-based labour migration governance. Ultimately, the project contributes to improved international monitoring of SDG Target 10.7 and promotes fairer and more ethical recruitment practices for migrant workers worldwide.