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 Peter Principle, or why the best workers don't always make the best managers
The Peter Principle states that organisations promote people who are good at their jobs until they reach their ‘level of incompetence’, implying that all managers are incompetent.
Everything you thought you knew about sticking to deadlines might be wrong
New research on project management finds that embracing uncertainty around deadlines can lead to greater success.
Britain must boost support for modern slaves, court rules
Survivors of modern slavery in Britain should no longer have support cut off six weeks after they are officially recognised as victims by the government, the High Court ruled on Wednesday.
France is about to start giving free breakfasts to disadvantaged schoolchildren
The announcement comes after numerous studies have drawn a link between quality breakfasts and higher grades at school.
A study reveals that female managers are having no impact on the gender pay gap
In a study published in the European Sociological Review, findings suggest that women are just as likely to earn less than men when they work under a female supervisor.
The modern workplace is hopelessly distracting. And it's costing us time and money
Research suggests that workplaces are filled with distractions, causing frustration for workers and hitting productivity as well.
Life after death: Sherpa widows eye Everest to fight taboo
Nima Doma Sherpa and Furdiki Sherpa are two Nepali Sherpa women who hope to conquer Mount Everest next month in an attempt to fight taboo and social stigma.
The World Economic Forum Book Club – 12 months, 12 great books
On this #WorldBookDay, we look back over a year of inspiring authors, from Elif Shafak to Steven Pinker and Yuval Noah Harari.
The middle-class dream is moving beyond millennials' reach
Today's younger generations are less likely to make the middle-income bracket than their parents were - and it's bad news for the economy.
These countries have the most expensive childcare
The availability of affordable childcare varies considerably depending on where you live.
This astronaut is set to break the record for the longest spaceflight by a woman
Astronaut Christina Koch is due to set a record for the longest spaceflight by a woman, remaining in orbit on board the International Space Station until February, said NASA.
For video games to reach the next level we need more women coders
According to UNESCO, even though the number of women in STEM has increased in recent years, they still only account for about 30% of the world's researchers. To change this, teenage girl...