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.
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A new survey looks at how workers in the US self-report their time spent at work on non-work related activities.
These projects are helping Zambian women get better access to land
Civil society organisations are helping to establish gender equality for female landowners.
This is what automation could mean for low-wage jobs in the US
New research looks at the impact of automation on low-wage jobs in the US - suggesting that it's likely to be offset by employment growth of similar paying jobs.
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Life for a Syrian refugee in Lebanon, through the eyes of one family
Reham, a Syrian refugee, lives in a small town in the north of Lebanon with her parents and three siblings.
This Iraqi restaurant is only for women - and only employs women
At Luxury Time, a restaurant in the Kurdish city of Erbil, there are no man-size portions.
Why some women are choosing ‘intentional invisibility’ at work
Recent research shows that women are in a double bind when it comes to succeeding at work.
How robots are helping Cameroon's women get into work
Scientist Janet Fofang is introducing the next generation of female workers to artificial intelligence.
What companies can do to tackle workplace mental health issues
As stress and other mental illnesses become more common, businesses are helping their employees to find support.
This school in Pakistan uses solar power to run night classes
Many of the children at the school are child labourers.
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