2019
SSRN

This paper presents a review of current evidence and ideas relating to the digital gig economy (DGE): contingent (task- or project-based) intangible work delivered digitally and done for money, organised via online outsourcing platforms that are marketplaces bringing together buyers and sellers. Examples of such platforms include Freelancer, Upwork, Amazon Mechanical Turk and Zhubajie/Witmart.

Global
Knowledge Brief
2019
Mastercard Foundation

Digital Commerce and Youth Employment in Africa details the uncertainties shaping the future of digital commerce and ‘future-proof’ choices policymakers can make to guide the positive impact of digital commerce on employment.

Africa
Report
2019
World Bank

Doing Business 2019 is the 16th in a series of annual reports investigating the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulation and the protection of property rights that are comparable across 190 economies.

Global
Report
2019
MENTOR

E-mentoring elevates the unique intersection of mentoring and technology by providing mentees and mentors with a diverse field of programs that center availability and accessibility of platforms, eliminate geographic barriers for matches, encourage improvement of social and relationship skills, and offer specialized academic or career related support. MENTOR’s e-mentoring resource offers best practices for e-mentoring programs.

Global
Report
2019
EU

Statistical data confirm the continued rise in the contribution of culture and art to the economy and employment in the EU and worldwide. The number of cultural professionals and artists is growing steadily, while their employment conditions become more and more unstable. This situation spreads to other sectors and needs to be addressed both in terms of social security and benefits, and revenues and taxation aspects. The EU competence in cultural, social and employment policies is limited, consisting of guidance and coordination without any possibility of harmonisation. However, since cultural professionals' EU mobility is sought after and considered important for the preservation of Europe's cultural diversity, the above-mentioned problems need to be addressed at EU level. Cultural education policy could help strengthen the demand for cultural services, contributing to better employment and training of professionals in the sector.

Europe and Central Asia
Knowledge Brief
2019
United Nations

UN Women has developed Empowering Women Migrant Workers from South Asia: Toolkit for Gender-Responsive Employment and Recruitment. The Toolkit provides guidance on ensuring the protection and promotion of the rights of women migrant workers throughout the labour migration cycle.

South Asia
Toolkit
2019
VVOB

There are over 1.2 billion adolescents in the world today, an all-time high. The vast majority of these 10-to-19-year-olds live in lower and middle-income countries (LMICs). Adolescence is a transformational phase of human life, but also a period of heightened risk and vulnerability. International literature identifies quality secondary education as a pivotal factor in raising future opportunities for adolescents. This publication explores the critical difference quality secondary education makes for adolescents, especially for adolescent girls and other vulnerable groups, explains VVOB's three priority dimensions of action for quality secondary education, and shares how VVOB puts this approach into practice in Rwanda, DR Congo, Uganda, Cambodia, Ecuador and Suriname.

Africa
Knowledge Brief
2019
Various

The paper presents a qualitative case study of individuals who were all trained to be online freelancers using digital “gig” work platforms (e.g., Upwork) by “Virtualahan,” a social enterprise based in the Philippines. The findings indicate that online technology-facilitated employment has broader implications than an improved financial situation. Employment through online technology increased the informants self-confidence and how their families perceive them. 

East Asia and Pacific
Report
2019
World Bank

This note analyses the gender profile of youth not in employment, education, or training (NEETs) in Georgia and Armenia according to individual and household characteristics, the gender differences in the school-to-work pathways, and the characteristics or risk factors that are correlated to being NEET and their differential effect between men and women.

Europe and Central Asia
Report
2019
World Bank

This report presents a desk review of the financing gap, constraints and policies related to the MSME financing in Bangladesh. It aims to provide relevant policy recommendations thereby presenting an opportunity to address these financing challenges.

South Asia
Report
2019
World Bank

This report talks about how the adoption of digital technologies in agriculture varies significantly across countries, with lower current adoption rates in low-income countries. Increasing adoption will require addressing supply-side factors, such as rural network coverage and availability of digital applications, and demand-side factors, including skills and knowledge, trust, affordability, and complementary investments.

Global
Report
2019
International Finance Corporation (IFC)

This study draws on academic research and IFC’s experience with the private sector in FCS to derive lessons on how to engage with the private sector to foster growth, job creation, and stability.

Global
Report
2019
World Bank

The Global Jobs Indicators Database (JoIn) presents more than 60 of the standardized labor supply indicators which are most commonly used in country Jobs Diagnostics.The database was compiled from national surveys and subnational microdata which was first harmonized for the Bank-wide I2D2. 

Global
Toolkit
2019
World Bank

In this video, three youth leaders from the Solutions for Youth Employment Youth Advisory Group were interviewed on how they are tackling youth unemployment challenges in their own countries: Federico Silva from Mozambique, Anna Bethune from  Jamaica, and Gulcan Yayla from Turkey. 

Global
Multimedia
2019
GIZ

Sport for Development (S4D) camps are special events that deliver S4D activities in a condensed manner over several days or weeks. An S4D-camp is a valuable learning opportunity for children, youth and coaches. This guideline shows what to consider when planning and implementing S4D-camps. 

Global
Report
2019
World Bank

In this video, Sara Enright, Project Director for the Global Impact Sourcing Coalition and Associate Director at Business for Social Responsibility, explains impact sourcing and how it helps the most vulnerable groups. The Global Impact Coalition is a partner of Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE).

Global
Multimedia
2019
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

Rural youth development focuses on three mutually-reinforcing factors: productivity, connectivity, and agency. The IFAD 2019 Rural Development Report creates a roadmap for development strategies that incorporate a focus on rural youth. 

Global
Multimedia
2019
World Bank & S4YE

This is a stocktake summarizing evidence on “what works” in youth employment programs on both the supply and demand side. This paper is based on an extensive desk literature review and analyzes the major meta-analysis and literature reviews on both the labor demand side and labor supply.

Global
Report
2019
World Bank & S4YE

This guide aims to provide general guidance to project managers and project teams on the design and implementation of integrated, cross-sectoral youth employment programs. Governments and development institutions too often implement activities and programs that target either the supply side or the demand side of the labor market without coordination or an explicit intent to create linkages that will maximize the impact of their interventions and improve job opportunities for youth.

Global
Report
2019
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Many countries around the world have large populations of impoverished people and high unemployment rates. In order to improve conditions in these countries, national governments must develop effective economic growth strategies with strengthening the creative industries at the forefront. The international community is only just beginning to recognize the socioeconomic potential of creative and cultural industries (CCIs), such as film, fashion, and music. The creative economy represents the trade of creative goods and services and grew at an average rate of 14 percent between 2002 and 2008, even during the 2008 global financial crisis. CCIs are more resilient to economic shocks and were not damaged by the 12 percent drop in global trade to the same degree as other sectors, such as manufacturing. Creative industries also produce non-rival goods that can be consumed locally or exported. Developing and developed countries around the world should invest further in creative industries to diversify their economies, reduce poverty, and create jobs for young people. 

Global
Report