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The global push for poverty reduction and shared prosperity is inseparable from the availability, quality, and accessibility of jobs. Yet poverty is not only the result of bad jobs—it is also a barrier to finding better ones. The ability to search for formal employment is a privilege many cannot afford: job search itself requires income security. Without access to basic protection, millions of workers are unable to take risks, invest in a job search, or wait for opportunities that match their skills.

At the same time, rapid structural transformation is reshaping how and where jobs are created. Labor markets in developing regions are under pressure from demographic shifts.  Youth unemployment remains high – particularly in lower income contexts – with unemployment rates in Sub-Saharan Africa reaching 8.5% in 2024. In contrast, regions such as Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and East Asia are contending with shrinking and aging workforces.  International migration is also reshaping labor markets, influencing the supply of workers and the transfer of skills across borders.

Yet the greater challenge lies in the quality of available work: 71.7% of young adult workers in Sub-Saharan Africa remain in insecure forms of employment, a figure that has improved by only 0.6 percentage points over the past 20 years. Informality remains pervasive in many low- and middle-income countries, where securing higher wages, better working conditions, and social protection is a major challenge. Meanwhile, technological change and climate transitions are deepening mismatches between the skills of job seekers and the needs of employers.

Addressing these challenges requires not only creating more jobs but also improving their quality and strengthening the functioning of labor markets. This calls for a reframing of the jobs agenda: jobs are not simply an outcome of growth, but an explicit development goal. Worker-centered policy solutions that ensure employment gains are widely shared, resilient, and inclusive are critical. Yet , averaging less than 0.3% of GDP globally, with sharp disparities—upper-middle-income countries invest nearly three times more than low-income nations.

Last Updated: Oct 02, 2025

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More Jobs Through Investing in Human Capital

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Global Lead for Labor and Skills in the Social Protection and Labor (SPL)

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