The International Labor Organization cautioned that the outlook for global labor markets has deteriorated in recent months.
"While it normally takes time for an economic slowdown or a recession to result in job destruction and unemployment, available data suggests that a sharp labor market slowdown is already underway," the ILO report said.
"If current trends continue, global employment growth will deteriorate significantly in the last three months of this current year 2022, and unemployment might start increasing," agency chief Gilbert Houngbo told reporters.
Amid deepening energy and food security crises, swelling inflation, tightening monetary policy and fears of a looming global recession, the UN agency said both employment creation and the quality of jobs were declining.
"While it normally takes time for an economic slowdown or a recession to result in job destruction and unemployment, available data suggests that a sharp labor market slowdown is already underway," the report said.
Monday's report highlighted in particular the dire employment situation in Ukraine itself since Russia invaded in February.
Houngbo said the war had caused "a dramatic effect on Ukraine's own labor market."
Monday's report also warned that excessive policy tightening could cause "undue damage to jobs and incomes in both advanced and developing countries."
There is a "need to ensure that the monetary tightening to combat inflation ... is really dovetailed with social measures, dovetailed with minimum social protection," Houngbo said, describing the global employment situation as "deeply worrying".
"Preventing a significant global labor market downturn, will require comprehensive, integrated and balanced policies both nationally and globally."