In 2020, the global workforce lost an equivalent of 255 million full-time jobs, an estimated $3.7 trillion in wages and 4.4% of global GDP, a staggering toll on lives and livelihoods. While vaccine rollout has begun and the growth outlook is predicted to improve, an even socio-economic recovery is far from certain.
The choices made by policymakers, business leaders, workers and learners today will shape societies for years to come. At this critical crossroads, leaders must consciously, proactively and urgently lay the foundations of a new social contract, rebuilding our economies so they provide opportunity for all.
In this context, the Forum remains committed to working with the public- and private sectors to provide better skills, jobs and education to 1 billion people by 2030 through initiatives to close the skills gap and prepare for the ongoing technological transformation of the future of work.
5 rules for making employers and employees trust each other again
Labour relations have become uncertain since the postwar period – but digital-age flexibility can be made to benefit both workers and executives.
Will AI make the gender gap in the workplace harder to close?
With women more involved in the application of artificial intelligence than developing the technology itself, this newest of industries is still clinging to traditional gender roles.
From glass ceiling to glass cliff: women are not a leadership quick-fix
The trend for women to be appointed to CEO positions in times of crisis is yet another reason why gender equality in the workplace is some way off.
Paintings of working women by a leading suffragette acquired for Britain
Four paintings by one of Britain's most famous suffragettes, Sylvia Pankhurst, documenting the conditions of female workers in the early 20th century, have been bought by the Tate gallery.
A new approach helps Britain's homeless crowdfund their way to work
Beam says it's built the world's first purpose-built platform that helps homeless people crowdfund donations through their online profile.
Nicaragua, France and Iceland are set to be the first countries to close their gender gaps
Nicaragua, France and Iceland are leading the charge to gender equality by 2050.
To hope or doubt? The state of women’s progress in the world
As the world backslides on the gender gap, women must clamour for progress louder than ever, writes the Secretary General of the Council of Women World Leaders.
This is where teachers are most (and least) respected
Research into how we feel about teachers has uncovered some unexpected statistics: men respect teachers more than women, as do older people and parents.
Globalization 4.0: Have your say
We've come up with six key questions to help us understand the new era of globalization. We want you to answer them. In 60-second video selfie format. Here's how.
Burnout and stress lead more companies to try a four-day work week
Working four days a week and getting paid for five sounds too good to be true for some, but it's a reality for many companies around the world looking to reduce stress and burnout in the ...
Robots and lack of childcare leave women's wages centuries behind
Advances in robotics and artificial intelligence, plus a persistent lack of available childcare, mean far fewer women are working now than men.
The way we teach STEM is out of date. Here's how we can update it
To ensure the Internet is a force for good, we need to change how we educate those who are driving its progress.