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.
Open, inclusive and diverse cities are better for business and economic growth
Equal rights are not just a moral imperative. They are an economic one. LGBTQ+ inclusion is linked to greater competitiveness and stronger financial results.
Finland is building a robot that could help you get a job
The Finnish government is creating an algorithm capable of predicting when an employee's skills will be outdated, and how to find more sustainable employment.
Muslim women's education is being limited by economics
New research shows that academic attainment is determined more by the state of the economy than religious restrictions.
Why expecting the unexpected could be the key to working well with others
New research suggests that people who embrace ambiguity are more likely to trust other people.
The humanities are becoming more important. Here's why
Learning soft skills in humanities degrees could allow you to better adapt to the jobs of the future.
The gay glass ceiling: understanding the discrimination at work
New research on discrimination at work against sexual minorities points out that gay men are more likely to report managerial authority, but they seem to be restricted to low-level manage...
Debunked: 5 myths about the future of work
The new realities facing organizations as they strive to combine human talent and machines are revealed by a new survey.
This is the major contradiction with female start-up funding
New data shows that female entrepreneurs receive a small fraction of the money that men receive, despite being more successful overall.
This is what the organic matter found on Mars means for the search for alien life
The Curiosity rover has discovered organic matter that points to the possibility something living existed there.
The secret to a successful company culture: awkwardness
A group of authors discuss the positive aspects of awkwardness in business.
This is the global price of gender inequality
A new report from the World Bank shows that global wealth would increase by $23,620 per person if women had the same earnings as men.
Young people are not a nameless, faceless mass. So why do we treat them as such?
Portraying youth as a homogenous population fails to recognize their complexity. It may be counterproductive to solving key global issues such as fragility, lack of meaningful work opport...