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.
An artificial language may explain common linguistic features
Some of the similarities among human languages may have roots in the brain’s preference for efficient information processing, a new study suggests.
The biggest threat to your cybersecurity is hiding in plain sight
Two thirds of cyber breaches are caused or enabled by employees. Here are three ways organizations can build a strong, cyber-savvy culture.
The gender pay gap stretches to minimum wage workers too
Research suggests that the gender pay gap is not exclusive to women in high-paying jobs.
These countries are best at preparing kids for the jobs of the future
This is where children are learning the 'soft skills' to be able to compete with robotic jobs.
Depression affects the brains of males and females differently
New findings suggest that adolescent girls and boys might experience depression differently and that sex-specific treatments could be beneficial for adolescents.
India's women are choosing to go to worse colleges than men
For their own safety, Indian women are choosing to go to worse colleges than men.
Women make up less than a quarter of the world's politicians - but these countries are bucking the trend
Rwanda, Sweden and Canada have the most women in parliament. And now they're smashing other goals too.
#OrangeTheWorld, China's tech women and other top gender stories of the week
Also in this week's round-up: London's pay gap and 16 stories from women in Pakistan who survived gender-based violence.
The European Commission is attempting to get more women on corporate boards
The European Commission is expected to take a dramatic step in its effort to diversify corporate boards.
EU quotas, the widening gap and other top gender stories of the week
Also in this week's gender round-up: the economics of dividing domestic work fairly and feminism in China.
These are the world's most employable graduates
The latest rankings from the Times Higher Education employability rankings discover the world's most employable graduates.
These are Europe’s best universities
The United Kingdom is known for Oxford and Cambridge universities, but other British universities also significantly outperform their European peers.