The Future of Work Podcast

Effective and comprehensive care systems not only support fundamental rights and human dignity, they also help people maximise their potential and their contribution to economies and societies. However, gaps in care systems – which were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic – can undermine gender equality and make it more difficult for those with disabilities to find work, so removing talent and sk...

More than 60 per cent of the world’s adult labour force, or about 2 billion workers, work in the informal economy. They are not recognized, registered, regulated or protected under labour legislation and social protection. The consequences can be severe, for individuals, families as well as economies. Despite major efforts over the years, there are few signs of the informal economy shrinking in si...

There is an enormous demand for scientific skills in the world of work. But if not enough women are inspired and encouraged to study science, they risk missing out on the jobs of the future and scientific professions risks losing the perspectives and experiences that women bring to the table. On International Day of Women and Girls in Science we explore why the world needs science, and science nee...

The pandemic accelerated the digitalization of small businesses, which had to adapt very quickly to the new circumstances. But going digital goes beyond the purely technological aspect. It is about changing the whole way a company operates, in a transition that can affect its finances and its employees. Dr Sandy Chong, who specializes in helping companies to go digital, explains how they are copin...

Traditionally the menopause has been an almost invisible issue, regarded as a medical or personal matter for women and their families only. But women of menopausal age now account for 11% of the G7 workforce alone, and the number affected will rise globally, as populations age. Recent research has shown that the effects of the menopause are far more extensive than previously understood, including...

Research has found that the COVID-19 crisis has made many existing world-of-work inequalities worse and exposed new ones. A particularly significant trend is the growth in wage and income inequality, because this fuels other forms of inequality. What’s more, the consequences of growing wage inequality go beyond those directly affected, rippling through all socio-economic levels and hampering econo...

Every year, on 15 October, the world celebrates the International Day of Rural Women, recognizing the critical role played by women in rural areas. This year the International Day recognizes their contribution in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty. “Women don’t want charity, they want to be helped and empowered,” says Reema Nanavaty,...

What has been the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on women or migrant workers? Have we taken a step back on the progress made in recent years in terms of inclusion? What is the ILO doing about it? Can remote work help people with disabilities? Are algorithms more biased than humans?

Digital labour platforms can transform how young refugees make a living. But the unequal spread of internet connectivity, inequalities in digital skills and the specific obstacles that many refugee population face daily make it difficult to apply for these jobs. Andreas Hackl, Lecturer in social anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, and author of the ILO report Towards decent work for young...

About 10 per cent of people are left handed, yet the world of work is overwhelmingly set up for right-handers. There are also numerous examples – historical and contemporary - of discrimination and stigma in relation to left-handed people. International Left-handers Day, on August 13, aims to counter some of these disadvantages and draw attention to the strengths of the world’s left-handed workers...

Convention No. 189 defines domestic work as work performed in or for a household or households, within an employment relationship and on an occupational basis. While progress has been made in legal coverage of domestic workers, these legal rights have not yet become a reality for most domestic workers across the globe. There remain significant decent work deficits in the areas of working time, wag...

It is widely agreed that we need to improve diversity in the workplace and research shows that diverse workplaces are more motivated, more innovative, and more profitable. But, too often, diversity recruitment and inclusion initiatives ignore neurodiversity. It’s estimated that 1-in-6 people have some sort of neuro-minority status, such as Aspergers, ADHD or Dyslexia. Yet unemployment rates for ne...

Safety and Health in the workplace has been massively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we mark World Day for Safety and Health and Work, Manal Azzi, Senior Occupational Safety and Health Specialist at the ILO, joins us to discuss the vital role that safe workplaces play for crisis recovery and prevention. Drawing on lessons learned from dealing with the pandemic, she lays out some of the stra...

For Sub-Saharan African countries the challenges of climate change come alongside more long-standing development issues. However, the shift to a greener economy also offers commercial opportunities, with the potential to create employment and boost access to core services. Zimbabwean green entrepreneurs, Elizabeth Nyamuda, founder of Tamba Washables, and Luke Makarichi, founder of GreenTEC, share...

The growth of digital labour platforms is presenting opportunities and challenges for workers and businesses around the world. Uma Rani, Senior Economist at the ILO and author of the World Employment and Social Outlook report 2021, explains the need for dialogue and regulatory cooperation in order to provide decent work opportunities in the sector. She is joined by several platform workers who sha...

Technology will be one of the key drivers shaping the future of work, but will it encourage decent work and social justice or fuel inequality and insecure work? Allen Blue, Co-Founder of LinkedIn and Vice President of Product Management explains how he sees technology bringing the public and private sectors together, to spread skills and opportunities and create the foundations for a greener and m...

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a sudden explosion in the number of people who telework, even in jobs that no one would have imagined it possible to do. Jon Messenger, a Senior Research Officer at the International Labour Organization in Geneva, Switzerland has been studying how telework has evolved in the last 20 years and talks about its present and future in the world of work.