Economic and Social Wage Aspects According to 8th Sustainable Development Goal: Selected Indicators

Objective: The objective is to evaluate and recommend indicators related to the achievement of the 8th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) from the perspective of the economic and social aspects of work. Research Design & Methods: The selection of 2010 as the starting point for the research, five years before the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, was deliberate. This choice aimed to underscore the transformations within the Polish economy driven by the country’s socio-economic policies prior to the introduction of the 17 SDGs. Simultaneously, it served as a foundation for subsequent observations. A critical assessment of the indicators previously employed to evaluate the achievement of the 8th SDG, alongside recommendations for tailored indicators that align with the goal’s principles – such as economic growth linked to decent wages – constituted a central element of the analysis. Findings: In the years 2010–2021, the share of the minimum wage in the average salary has increased, which is justified by social motives. Its dynamic growth, in turn, is an economic rationale. Despite an increase in labour productivity, no significant increase in the share of labour in national income was observed in the period under review. Implications / Recommendations: A notable limitation is the scarcity of publications addressing the assessment of the achievement of SDG 8, particularly in relation to the existing catalogue of indicators developed by Eurostat. This catalogue has been criticised for the lack of universality in its indicators. Expanding the range of these indicators could contribute to the development of a more comprehensive and authoritative set of measures. Contribution: The proposed indicators for assessing the implementation of the 8th SDG in the context of decent work provide a foundation for a qualitative revision of the diagnostic indicators catalogue utilised by organisations such as Eurostat.