News
Good jobs transitions for post-pandemic development – UNU-WIDER in the 5th annual Jobs and Development Conference

The 5th annual Jobs and Development conference took place online over 1-3 September, hosted by the World Bank, IZA, the Network on Jobs and Development, and UNU-WIDER. The 2021 event focused on ‘good jobs transitions for post-pandemic development’ and featured over 50 papers from economists, policy makers, and development experts, plus keynotes by David Autor and Dani Rodrik. More than 1,600 people joined the online conference. 

Among those presenting was Gaaitzen de Vries, who introduced research on the manufacturing renaissance underway in developing countries, drawing on the GGDC/UNU-WIDER Economic Transformation Database. Simone Schotte also presented new UNU-WIDER research focusing on the labour market impacts of lockdowns in Ghana. Showcasing new research from the Inclusive Growth in Mozambique project, Sam Jones joined to discuss changes in supply and demand on informal freelancers in Mozambique during the pandemic. 

The event bought together experts from across 22 countries to discuss a wide range of topics related to jobs, COVID-19, and development, including remittances, the role of institutions, infrastructure, data, and protecting migrant workers. Yet all the presentations came together along a common thread — as we begin to emerge from the pandemic, it is essential that policies are refocused on creating more resilient jobs. Better jobs will be vital in the recovery from the economic effects of the pandemic, and also as we face other global challenges including climate change.  

Read more in the World Bank blog

Presentation highlights from Gary Field and Ian Walker can be found here