This project, represented by the eleven studies discussed in this volume, set out to explore two broad questions: What are the experiences of individual workers and sellers as they rely on platforms to earn a living? What are the opportunities improve those experiences?

This Note identifies the jobs most conducive to global work and estimates the size of global digital jobs. The paper sets the stage for future discussions on strategies to create a successful and equitable global digital workforce and calls for leaders and policy-makers to prepare for the future of work.

This is an article about workforce development in global value chains. It discusses the skills needed to participate in the global economy. The article also details challenges faced by countries trying to educate their workforce to meet these demands.

The report reveals a complex global employment scenario. It forecasts a slight increase in global unemployment in 2024, signalling emerging labour market challenges. The report highlights disparities between high and low-income countries, noting higher unemployment and poverty rates in lower-income nations. It also points out that a significant portion of the global workforce remains in informal employment.

This is a report about the Nestlé Needs YOUth Initiative. It discusses the initiative's goals and achievements over ten years. The initiative was launched to improve young people's employment prospects. It has since expanded to include entrepreneurship and agripreneurship programs. Nestlé Needs YOUth has provided thousands of work opportunities and training sessions. The program emphasizes mentorship and aims to empower young people.

This document outlines how Duolingo is utilizing AI to support education for refugees.

This paper documents near-exponential growth in the demand for artificial intelligence (AI)-related skills in India’s services sector since 2016, using a new dataset of online vacancies from its largest jobs website. It evaluates the impact of demand for AI skills on establishment-level non-AI postings in the short term using an event study, and medium term using a shiftshare design that exploits variation in exposure to new AI inventions.

This S4YE Discussion Note explores the role of the blue economy, especially fisheries, as a source of productive and sustainable jobs for youth. The research discusses the importance of understanding how the blue economy is changing in response to trends in technological innovation, environmental concerns, and the move towards a circular economy. Finally, the note discusses four main types of policy interventions that can help support job opportunities for youth in ocean-based industries: 1) deepening youth employment data analysis, 2) closing blue skills gaps, 3) improving the attractiveness and awareness of blue careers among youth; and 4) promoting youth entrepreneurship and innovation in blue economy sectors.

Discover the fastest-growing skills with the new Job Skills of 2024 Report from Coursera. This data-rich report draws on skills data from Coursera’s nearly 5 million enterprise learners across 3,000 businesses, 3,600 higher education institutions, and governments in over 100 countries.

Digital Africa, Technological Transformation for Jobs examines pathways to produce and promote the expanded use of affordable and attractive digital technologies (DTs) that are appropriate for Sub-Saharan Africa’s growing workforce and facilitate continued learning through use. DTs are defined broadly to include digital and data infrastructure, broadband internet, smartphones, tablets, and computers. They also include more specialized productivity-enhancing solutions, such as management upgrading, worker training, procurement, marketing, logistics, financing, and insurance.

In an increasingly interconnected world driven by rapid technological advancements, the nature of work is undergoing significant transformations. The rise of digital platforms and technologies has ushered in a new era of digital employment, offering both opportunities and challenges. The International Labour Organization (ILO) recognizes the crucial need to understand and navigate the complexities of digital employment. ILO has developed these guidelines on digital employment diagnostics.

Protest in the gig economy has taken many forms and targets (platforms, customers and state officials). However, researchers are yet to adequately account for this diversity. This study uses a European survey of Upwork and PeoplePerHour platform workers to investigate worker orientation towards different forms of protest.

This policy review considers the opportunities e-commerce offers to women-led and womenowned small enterprises in developing and least developed countries (LDCs), and the challenges such enterprises face to engage in e-commerce. While a vast literature is available on e-commerce and UNCTAD has contributed to it, looking at e-commerce through a gender lens is a more recent endeavour. This publication aims to contribute to it. It is addressed to a variety of stakeholders, but especially to policymakers, with the aim of providing guidance on how to design policies and measures that enhance women’s beneficial participation in the economy by leveraging e-commerce. Nevertheless, private sector stakeholders are encouraged to examine the findings of this policy review to determine opportunities for collaboration with government, including through public-private partnerships.

Acknowledging the growing importance of generative AI in research and practical applications, including its use to solve international development challenges, this report provides a comprehensive overview of generative AI, introduces the basics, explains its development over time, and examines its types and applications.

The ILO and Learning Lions are bridging the digital divide in remote areas by providing comprehensive digital skills training, mentorship and job opportunities to young people. This innovative program is transforming the lives of vulnerable communities, including refugees, and paving the way for an inclusive digital economy in Kenya.

This paper examines the productivity effects of a generative artificial intelligence technology—the assistive chatbot ChatGPT—in the context of mid-level professional writing tasks

The Fairwork Cloudwork Ratings 2023 assesses and scores basic standards of fairness in working arrangements on 15 web-based digital labour platforms according to the five Fairwork principles: fair pay, conditions, contracts, management, and representation.

This Note highlights the challenges of providing financial services to underserved gig workers through online platforms. While these platforms offer a potential channel, innovators recognize that digital skills alone might not be enough. Building trust and understanding requires a balanced approach, combining technology with a human touch. The Note showcases four successful examples from industry leaders who have carefully designed, developed, and piloted solutions to deliver financial services to platform workers.

This report is designed to help both professionals and business leaders understand what’s happening with AI and work. It covers three main areas: the intersection of AI and the world of work, the state of play of Generative AI (GAI) in the workforce, and LinkedIn’s role in helping navigate an AI-driven world.

This study assesses the potential global exposure of occupations to Generative AI, particularly GPT-4. Insights from this study underline the need for proactive policies that focus on job quality, ensure fair transitions, and that are based on dialogue and adequate regulation.