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.
The UK is banning adverts that portray sexist stereotypes
Britain's advertising watchdog is cracking down on portrayals of gender stereotyping, such as men struggling to change nappies, following repeated public outcry at controversial campaigns.
90% of European Jews say anti-Semitism is getting worse
More than 70 years since the defeat of the Nazi Third Reich, the spectre of anti-Semitism still stalks Europe, with 90% of Jewish people across the EU saying it is a growing problem.
9 books recommended by Michelle Obama
Do you read to boost your knowledge or to switch off and relax? Find out what the former First Lady reads, and why.
Doing the dirty work - do women mop up workplace mess?
Data shows no evidence for the so-called 'glass cliff' – a theory suggesting women are often only brought into senior positions at times of crisis
Fixing gender gaps means everyone will benefit from a more equal society
The UK is in the middle of a conversation about the gender pay gap. And rightly so. No matter how you look at it, the average 9.7% difference between the collective earnings of men and wo...
Spain will increase their minimum wage by 22%
The increase, due to enter into force in January, was agreed jointly with anti-austerity party Podemos.
Can play save the world?
Playtime is vital to children's development - and shapes everything from their school readiness to their future careers. Now there's a global movement to boost opportunities for play.
There's a new plan to tackle Japan's overhousing problem - give them to single mums
Japan has more than nine million empty homes and a single mother population of 700,000, who often struggle to find accommodation. This new initiative can solve the two problems.
The internet has a language diversity problem
English dominates the internet and risks creating a digital divide, as demonstrated by this chart showing the discrepancies between languages used online and those spoken in real life.
A new survey reveals that a majority of Australian women have been sexually harassed at work
Some 64 percent of women and 35 percent of men said they had been harassed at their current or former workplace.
The Church of England is introducing ceremonies to welcome trans people
In its latest move towards greater acceptance, the Church of England is supporting trans members, by issuing guidelines on ceremonies to mark their transition.
How reading and writing have been healing trauma since World War I
There's mounting evidence that 'bibliotherapy' can help people overcome loneliness and social exclusion - and it has been healing minds for a century.