Jobs, Skills, and Emerging Economies
Description
Jobs, Skills, and Emerging Economies examines one of the defining pressures facing developing economies over the next decade: the need to generate productive employment at unprecedented scale. It frames job creation not simply as an economic necessity, but as a central driver of social stability, poverty reduction, and long-term national competitiveness. The report argues that many emerging economies sit at a turning point where demographic expansion can either become an enormous growth engine—or a destabilising force if livelihoods cannot keep pace.
The report highlights how youth unemployment and underemployment are increasingly structural rather than cyclical, driven by weak job creation, low productivity informal work, and education systems that do not align with labour market demand. It explores how many economies now face a “skills paradox”: widespread unemployment alongside persistent employer difficulty filling roles. This gap is exacerbated by limited technical training, weak digital literacy, and a shortage of work-ready soft skills required for modern service and industrial jobs.
Finally, the report evaluates the policy and economic strategies most likely to expand employment capacity, including labour market reforms, vocational training expansion, infrastructure investment, support for scalable entrepreneurship, and targeted initiatives to raise female labour force participation. It outlines how productivity-enhancing sectors—such as higher-value services, export-linked manufacturing, construction, and the digital economy—can absorb large labour inflows if paired with enabling reforms. The report concludes with a forward-looking assessment of the regions most exposed to employment strain and the reforms most likely to unlock demographic dividends.
The report highlights how youth unemployment and underemployment are increasingly structural rather than cyclical, driven by weak job creation, low productivity informal work, and education systems that do not align with labour market demand. It explores how many economies now face a “skills paradox”: widespread unemployment alongside persistent employer difficulty filling roles. This gap is exacerbated by limited technical training, weak digital literacy, and a shortage of work-ready soft skills required for modern service and industrial jobs.
Finally, the report evaluates the policy and economic strategies most likely to expand employment capacity, including labour market reforms, vocational training expansion, infrastructure investment, support for scalable entrepreneurship, and targeted initiatives to raise female labour force participation. It outlines how productivity-enhancing sectors—such as higher-value services, export-linked manufacturing, construction, and the digital economy—can absorb large labour inflows if paired with enabling reforms. The report concludes with a forward-looking assessment of the regions most exposed to employment strain and the reforms most likely to unlock demographic dividends.
Table of Contents
26 Pages
- 1. Executive Summary
- 2. Demographic Trends and Labour Force Dynamics
- 3. Youth Unemployment and Underemployment Crisis
- 4. Skills Gaps and Education–Labour Market Mismatches
- 5. Vocational Training and Digital Skills Development
- 6. Labour Market Regulations and Reform Challenges
- 7. Manufacturing, Services, and Sectoral Employment Trends
- 8. Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development
- 9. Female Labour Force Participation and Gender Gaps
- 10. Policy Recommendations and Growth Pathways
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