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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

ľ¹ÏӰԺ’s  Social Protection and Labor Global Practice, helps countries strengthen their labor markets through lending, data and evidence generation, capacity building, and cross-country knowledge sharing. SPL supports countries in designing and implementing labor market policies and programs that enhance people’s skills, employability, productivity, and labor mobility. We help countries develop integrated solutions that address the barriers workers face—whether they are wage employees, self-employed, women, youth, refugees, or long-term unemployed. This ensures that all workers, not just the most privileged, can benefit from opportunities.

Labor market programs and solutions:

SPL brings proven, scalable tools with immediate impact, while laying the groundwork for sustainable job creation. Drawing on the World Bank Group’s global knowledge and experience, we work with countries to identify labor market solutions tailored to their specific contexts.

• Public works, wage subsidies, active labor market programs, , unemployment insurance programs, and labor intermediation services expand employment where opportunities are scarce, protect workers, connect them to jobs, improve worker–job matches, and facilitate smoother transitions—enhancing labor market efficiency and productivity across all job types.

•  combine productive grants, entrepreneurship support, and market linkages to help poor and vulnerable workers move out of subsistence, diversify income, improve job prospects, transition into more productive activities, and secure sustainable livelihoods.

• integrate training, apprenticeships, entrepreneurship, and employment services to address the specific barriers young people face—because first jobs matter. Early intervention can shape lifetime opportunities and earnings, and SPL delivers approaches that help youth start strong.

•  remain cornerstones of employment policy. SPL promotes market-relevant skills training, on-the-job skills development, and apprenticeships, while preparing workers for emerging opportunities in digital, green and platform-based work.

• Global skill partnerships enable mutually beneficial, well-managed migration processes that address demographic imbalances, labor shortages, and skills gaps across countries. They help workers acquire market-relevant skills and expand employment prospects, while meeting rising demand in destination economies.

•  are the foundation for achieving impact at scale, moving beyond one-off programs. SPL supports countries in building robust, institutionalized structures for employment by strengthening national employment agencies, conducting labor market diagnostics and capacity assessments, and designing systems that reach more workers and deliver stronger results.

• are essential, as income security and labor market policies go hand in hand. By linking social protection and employment services, SPL enables workers to take risks, search for better jobs, manage shocks, and invest in their futures—an approach especially crucial in fragile and low-income settings, where social protection is the foundation for functioning labor markets.

Promising recent innovations include adapting labor market policies and programs to the informal sector; leveraging data and technology for more effective profiling, targeting, and matching job seekers to training and employment; and strengthening private sector engagement —as employers, service providers, and co-financiers—with a shift toward results-based approaches.

Last Updated: Oct 02, 2025

In Argentina, the supports services to improve opportunities for unemployed individuals and those in informal work. The program brings together job intermediation, vocational training, and on-the-job learning into an integrated service delivery model, supported by the new Employment Portal. Over 1.8 million individuals and 8,000 firms have registered on the portal, improving job matching and modernizing how services are delivered across national and local levels. In its first two years, more than 470,000 individuals have benefitted from employment services such as labor market orientation, apprenticeships, and vocational training, with early evaluations showing increased formal sector employment.

In Kenya, the reached more than 358,000 young people, supporting them along both wage-employment and entrepreneurship pathways through skills training, business development support, and start-up grants. Among participants, 77% of those completing training and internships secured jobs or became self-employed—an 18.9 percentage point increase. Likewise, 93% of grant recipients found jobs or became self-employed—an 18-point increase—and reported a 20% rise in incomes. Youth-led enterprises also expanded, creating over 2,700 new jobs, with employment rising by 64% among small-grant recipients and 145% among large-grant recipients, while showing significantly higher rates of business creation and survival.

In Uganda, theprovided vulnerable rural youth with trade training, mentorship, and grants. Four years after the intervention, participants’ earnings were 38% higher. Longer-term impacts included improved household assets, higher rates of skilled employment, and gains in child health. More than 95,000 women received life and business skills training, a $250 productive grant, coaching, and participation in regular savings groups. These interventions increased the likelihood of household business activity by 37%, boosted profits by 63%, and reduced the incidence of hunger by 24%.

In Tonga, the —designed as a Global Skills Partnership (GSP)—supports secondary school progression and vocational certifications recognized in Australia and New Zealand, while also assisting low- and semi-skilled workers to access employment overseas. More than 12,000 beneficiaries—about 20% of the labor force—have received pre-departure training, enabling them to compete in international labor markets and contribute to national development through remittances and newly acquired skills.

In Indonesia, the is improving access to jobs and skills development nationwide. Indonesia’s LMIS reform aims to address critical skills mismatches and information gaps while increasing employer engagement through enhanced services. By upgrading the SIAPKerja labor market platform, expanding local service units, and modernizing training centers, the project has so far enrolled over 147,000 trainees—including more than 59,000 women—by April 2025. Early results show a 30% increase in successful job matches through SIAPKerja, and 75% of CMTC graduates secure employment within six months.

In Bangladesh, the has supported low-income youth and returnee migrants with bundled services tailored to their needs. Activities include career counseling, skills training and apprenticeships, entrepreneurship support, and access to credit and social services. To date, over 531,000 people have benefited from economic inclusion support, 17,222 completed informal apprenticeships, 46,570 young microentrepreneurs received training and microfinance, and more than 180,000 returnee migrants were supported through counseling, referral services, or cash transfers.

In °Õü°ù°ì¾±²â±ð, the has improved employability and labor market access for both Syrian refugees and Turkish citizens. Launched in 2022, the project has reached over 23,000 beneficiaries—more than 10,000 women—through counseling and livelihood advisory services. Early results demonstrate enhanced skills, better access to employment opportunities, and improved income prospects, contributing to labor market integration and economic inclusion for vulnerable populations.

In Lebanon, the has enhanced youth employment in the digital and creative sectors. The project identified in-demand skills and job opportunities through a Job Market Digest with 82 companies, built partnerships with 162 employers, and provided training in digital marketing, UI/UX, and career guidance. Through five targeted pilot programs, 1,804 youth—including 57% women—received training, internships, and soft skills development. Early results show that 91% of participants rated their experience as satisfactory, demonstrating improved labor market prospects and employability.

In Nigeria, the has increased youth employment opportunities and supported vulnerable households. The project strengthened social safety net systems, provided immediate work opportunities for unskilled youth, delivered demand-driven skills training and six-month internships, and implemented targeted cash transfers linked to education and health. To date, 237,937 vulnerable households received grants, 242,632 youth participated in public works programs (59% female), over 182,600 youth received life skills training (61% female), and 28,185 youth graduated from internships, improving employability and income prospects for young people across the country.

Last Updated: Oct 02, 2025