Every year in Western and Central Africa, 6 million young people enter the labor force, while only about half a million new jobs are created. This enormous jobs deficit means that most entrants into the workforce work in the informal sector, with insecure income, low quality employment, and very little hope of escaping poverty. The repercussions […]
We’re excited to share lessons from our recent work on the Lusaka Sanitation Project in Zambia but before delving into the recent progress achieved, it’s crucial to grasp the magnitude of the sanitation challenge in the country. Insufficient access to sanitation facilities has long been an issue in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, leading to waterborne diseases, […]
The narrowing of the gender pay gap slowed around the turn of the 21st century. Meanwhile, younger workers have fared progressively worse than older workers. This column uses data for the US, Italy, Canada, and the UK to show that while pay convergence was initially driven by a narrowing of the gender gap at labour […]
The US aims to revitalise its domestic semiconductor manufacturing industry, but will there be enough skilled workers to meet the ambitious goals? This column presents evidence, based on a global dataset of 1.6 million employees with chip manufacturing skills, that US protectionist policies – increased tariffs and visa restrictions – implemented since 2018 may have […]
