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.
It's people, not technology, that will decide the future of work
Technology can help improve lives for workers, or lead us back to "feudalism" - it's up to us, argues the head of the International Trade Union Confederation
Biblioburro: The amazing donkey libraries of Colombia
Literacy rates across Latin America are generally pretty high, particularly among younger generations. But it’s still common for children in remote communities to live in homes with littl...
Solar tracking bracelets protect nomadic Kenyan mothers and babies
Beaded bracelets with solar-powered GPS enable health workers to monitor pregnant pastoralist women, preventing deaths in childbirth.
Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue to feature model in burkini
Somali-American Halima Aden will become the first model to appear in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue wearing a hijab and burkini.
To solve the gender pay gap, we need to radically rethink what a job looks like
Research shows women are often doing low-paid, part-time work, with little potential for pay progression.
'Don't hire people who are just like yourself' - Q&A with author Beth Comstock
Our April pick for the World Economic Forum Book Club was Beth Comstock's book, Imagine It Forward: Courage, Creativity and the Power of Change. Throughout the month, her inspirational re...
10 ways to spot a truly exceptional employee
A study of more than 500 business leaders has revealed that 78% of leaders think personality sets great employees apart, more than cultural fit and even an employee’s skills.
The US constitution doesn’t guarantee equal rights for women – this law could change that
After four decades in the US Congress, a proposed constitutional amendment to guarantee equal rights for women got its first hearing on Tuesday.
From robo-wars to mindfulness: What Bill Gates is reading to understand modern technology
This year, ahead of choosing MIT Technology Review's breakthrough innovations, Gates read 10 books on tech that helped inform his choices.
Pink for girls: Does toy marketing affect girls' career choices?
Six in 10 parents believe the way products are marketed for children reinforces stereotypes.
These countries have the most robot workers
Numbers of automated workers are increasing in industries across the globe. But which country has the most?
Chart of the day: Aid spending fell in 2018, for the second year in a row
Some of the world’s poorest countries saw development aid from official donors fall in 2018, the second consecutive annual decline.