How can we create decent jobs in the digital age?

Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization

Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization

Could a robot replace your job? Fears about technology’s impact on the labour market are nothing new. Way back before the International Labour Organization (ILO) came into being in 1919, the Luddites were one group of early-19th century English workers who destroyed the labour-saving textile machines which were replacing their jobs.

The anxiety that machines could kill millions of jobs in our globalized workplaces is real – and it comes at a time when the world economy is already facing a major employment crisis. The jobs gap in G20 countries stands at about 54 million and could expand to over 60 million by 2018 unless current growth trends improve.

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Jobs: the gorilla in the Davos living room

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Director-General of the International Labour Organization

In the past few days, I’ve had a chance to talk to some of the leaders who thronged Davos for the annual World Economic Forum.

Some were upbeat over the global economic recovery – however tepid – but I also heard a lot of concern over growing inequality, rising unemployment and the bleak outlook for young people.  Continue reading

Taking the uphill struggle for jobs to Davos

Guy Ryder

Guy Ryder

By Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization

Follow @GUYRYDER‘s tweets from #Davos

“Leading through adversity”, “The Economic Malaise and its Perils”, “Creating Economic Dynamism” – these are some of the panels taking place here in Davos at this year’s World Economic Forum.

For many of us here these discussions boil down to this: How can the battered global economy bounce back and stay strong?  Continue reading