OVERVIEW
Moving jobs center stage
J
obs are the cornerstone of economic and social development. Indeed, development happens through jobs. People work their way out of poverty and hardship through better livelihoods. Economies grow as people get better at what they do, as they move from farms to firms, and as more productive jobs are created and less productive ones disappear. Societies flourish as jobs bring together people from different ethnic and social backgrounds and nurture a sense of opportunity. Jobs are thus transformational—they can transform what we earn, what we do, and even who we are. No surprise, then, that jobs are atop the development agenda everywhere—for everyone from policy makers to the populace, from business leaders to union representatives, from activists to academics. Looking to seize opportunities for job creation presented by massive demographic shifts, technological innovations, global migrations of people and tasks, and deep changes in the nature of work, policy makers ask difficult questions:
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Should countries build their development strategies around growth or should they rather focus on jobs?
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Can entrepreneurship be fostered, especially among the many microenterprises in developing countries, or are entrepreneurs born?
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While jobs can contribute to social cohesion, is there anything governments can do about it, apart from trying to support job creation?
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Are greater investments in education and training a prerequisite for employability, or can skills be built through jobs?
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Should efforts to improve the investment climate target the areas, activities, or firms with greater potential for job creation?
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What is the risk that policies to foster job creation in one country will come at the expense of jobs in other countries?
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When confronted with large shocks and major restructuring, is it advisable to protect jobs and not just people?
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How can the reallocation of workers be accelerated from areas and activities with low productivity to those with greater potential?
Individuals value jobs for the earnings and benefits they provide, as well as for their contributions to self-esteem and happiness. But some jobs have broader impacts on society. Jobs for women can change the way households spend money and invest in the education and health of children. Jobs in cities support greater specialization and the exchange of ideas, making other jobs more productive. Jobs connected to global markets bring home new technologi-