Forced labor and illegal profits

Forced labor in countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines, generated the highest “illegal profits” according to the latest report of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Forced labor can occur in many forms. Contrary to popular belief, forced labor not only occurs in the case of human trafficking, sex workers and child workers. It occurs wherever and whenever work or service is exacted by people or employers who have the will and power to threaten workers with severe deprivations, such as withholding food or wages, restricting their workers’ movements or locking them up.