The Future of Work Podcast

Can artificial intelligence, robots and surveillance protect workers on the job? Yes, according to the latest report from the International Labour Organization. In this episode of the Future of Work podcast, ILO occupational safety and health expert Manal Azzi explains how AI and technology is being used as a safety net, and not a threat, for workers worldwide.

Generative AI is transforming jobs in Latin America, but who benefits, and who gets left behind? Pawel Gmyrek from the ILO and Hernan Winkler from the World Bank join the Future of Work podcast to discuss their research, exploring how AI is reshaping work and its implications for inequality.

Ekkehard Ernst, author of the ILO report: "World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2025", joins the Future of Work podcast to discuss how geopolitical tensions, climate change, artificial intelligence, and inequalities are affecting global labour markets.

Industrial symbiosis is an approach to the circular economy through which businesses work together to utilize waste and by-products created by their processes in existing and new products, so saving resources and energy. Sabrina de Gobbi, ILO Senior Economist, joins the podcast to discuss what potential it has to ‘green’ economies and how we can ensure that the jobs it creates are decent.

How can social protection help those most vulnerable to the worst impacts of climate change? To discuss the issue, we are joined by Kumi Naidoo, a longtime human rights and climate justice activist, and Shahra Razavi, Director of the ILO’s Universal Social Protection department.

According to a new ILO report, youth unemployment figures have recovered to pre-pandemic levels, but, in apparent contradiction, young people worldwide are reporting growing anxiety and worry about unemployment and job security. So, what’s the real situation for young people entering the labour market?

Competing at the Paralympics requires extraordinary time and dedication, so how do Paralympic athletes balance the demands of sporting excellence with earning a living? To discuss this the ILO’s Future of Work podcast is joined by the former Paralympian, Josh Vander Vies and the ILO's expert on athletes and rights at work, Oliver Liang.

The Olympic and Paralympic games are not just major a sporting festival, they are also a massive procurement, construction and employment project. This year, the Paris Games adopted a Social Charter, which links the entire games delivery process with social goals that are inspired by the ILO's decent work agenda.

Running your own business can be a dream, a route to independence and a way out of poverty. But successful entrepreneurship isn’t easy, without the right skills and knowledge. An ILO programme - Start and Improve your Business (SIYB) – is helping to bridge that gap and has already helped tens of millions of people become entrepreneurs. Luisa Iachan, ILO Technical Officer on Inclusive Markets and E...

The rising temperatures associated with climate change mean more people are experiencing heat stress at work, with potentially fatal consequences. ILO Occupational Safety and Health specialists, Manal Azzi and Halshka Graczyk join the ILO’s Future of Work podcast to discuss what is being done to protect workers from the effects of excessive heat.

Ahead of the opening of the 112th International Labour Conference on June 3, the ILO’s Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo joins the Future of Work podcast to explain the key social and labour issues on the conference agenda, and why they matter in light of the state of our world today.

In this Future of Work podcast, the ILO’s Richard Samans and economic historian Lord Robert Skidelsky discuss how we can begin to transform macroeconomics to deal more effectively with ongoing challenges to social justice, such as inequality, underemployment, precarity and environmental degradation.

Forced labour is not just a brutal abuse of fundamental human rights, but it also generates hundreds of billions of dollars in criminal business profits, according to a new ILO report. We discuss the issue with the report's co-author Michaëlle de Cock and Anousheh Karvar, the French government delegate to the ILO.

For many young people finding that first job can be hard. For those who are also refugees it can seem like an insurmountable challenge. We talk to Mashimbo Rose Nafisa and Joel Amani Mafigi, two young refugees in Uganda who have overcome this problem and are now helping other young people do the same.

February 20th is World Day of Social Justice on the UN calendar. But what is social justice? Why does it matter for the youth in Africa? Discover what the youth believe are the solutions Africa's social injustices and listen to what they say they need to realize their dreams, in their own words.

New research shows that Generative AI tools can substantially increase productivity in certain mid and high-skilled work, like for instance in science, technology, and engineering. So what does this mean for employment, skills and wages?

The ILO's Future of Work podcast looks at trends in digital technologies and their regulation in China, and explores what impact this is having on the country's world of work.

Demand for care already outstrips supply and is expected to increase significantly in the future. Now, new ILO research suggests that spending on care – particularly childcare – could bring a return on investment of more than 3-to-1.

One in five employees will experience mental illness in their lifetime. Find out in the ILO Future of Work podcast, the four steps that employers can take to minimise workplace mental health stresses.

The effects of Generative AI on employment creation and destruction are much discussed, but what will the effects be on job quality, and where will those effects be felt most?

The global population is getting older. At the same time employers complain they can’t find the workers or skills they need, and governments worry about funding health care and social protection. On International Day for Older Persons (1 October) we look at whether keeping people in the workforce longer could be an answer.

How would you react to being given money on a regular basis, with no strings attached? And how might this change you, your family or the wider community? This is the question faced by the Kenyan village of Kogutu after being chosen as a location for the largest ever experiment in Universal Basic Income. Filmmakers Lauren DeFilippo and Sam Soko spent five years chronicling the dramatic impact of th...

Green jobs can help tackle the climate crisis and the labour market challenges faced by young people. So what exactly are green jobs? And what can young people do to create a sustainable future for themselves?

Global crises, conflicts, socio-economic inequalities, migration and the climate emergency are increasing the risk of human trafficking. What can be done, and by whom, to counter this threat?

The world of work has always been shaped by technology, but the new generation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has raised fears that it could destroy tens of millions of jobs, and undermine progress towards decent work and greater social justice.