The Quick Read
- The World Bank says the world faces a historic jobs challenge, with around 1.2 billion young people in emerging market and developing economies set to reach working age between 2025 and 2035.
- In a recent presentation on “Jobs for the next generation”, World Bank Group Chief Economist Indermit S. Gill noted that getting a job is necessary for poverty reduction and prosperity, but “it is not enough”.
- The World Bank’s research also highlights a mismatch: countries with the youngest workforces are often less business-ready.
- For women, this debate is especially important. Gill’s presentation notes that only half of prime-age women work, compared with three-quarters of prime-age men, and fewer than one-fifth of top managerial jobs are held by women.
- The policy lesson is straightforward: job creation must be judged by pay, stability, safety, dignity, progression and inclusion, not only by headcount.
World Bank’s statement on improving job quality signals a shift in the jobs debate
The global jobs conversation is changing. For years, governments have been judged by how many jobs they create. That number still matters. It matters deeply. A country cannot talk about development while millions remain without work.
But the new concern is sharper. What kind of work is being created?
The World Bank’s message on improving job quality comes at a time when the world is preparing for a historic labour market pressure. According to the World Bank’s Global Jobs Challenge, around 1.2 billion young people in emerging market and developing economies will reach working age between 2025 and 2035. It calls this the largest youth cohort the world is likely to see. (World Bank)
That means the next decade will not only test economies. It will test the quality of their growth.
If young people get work that pays poorly, offers no ladder, provides no security, and leaves families vulnerable, employment alone will not solve poverty. That is the heart of the World Bank’s warning.
World Bank on improving job quality: Why it matters now
In his presentation on “Jobs for the next generation”, World Bank Group Chief Economist and Senior Vice-President for Development Economics Indermit S. Gill placed the issue directly: getting a job is necessary for poverty reduction and prosperity, but it is not enough. (World Bank)
That line should matter to every policymaker, employer and worker.
A job can keep someone busy and still leave them poor. A job can increase employment numbers and still offer no future. And a job can exist on paper but fail on wages, safety, skills, social protection or mobility.
It is visible across developing economies. Many people work long hours without moving out of vulnerability. The World Bank presentation notes that two-thirds of people living on less than $3 a day are self-employed or in household enterprises. It also notes that wage and salaried jobs are mostly a non-poor phenomenon. (World Bank)
The message is important. Work must improve income. It must also create a route to a better life. And that requires better jobs.
The women’s work angle cannot be missed
The job quality debate has a clear gender dimension.
Gill’s presentation notes that women remain underrepresented in work. Only half of prime-age women work, compared with three-quarters of prime-age men. Women are also underrepresented in business and management. Only one-third of businesses are owned by women, and women hold fewer than one-fifth of top managerial jobs. (World Bank)
It means the jobs debate cannot stop at youth employment or aggregate labour numbers.
For women, bad job quality becomes a barrier to entry and retention.
A job that is unsafe, far away, poorly paid or rigid may not be practical for a woman carrying unpaid care responsibilities. A job with no progression may bring income but not power. And a job with no maternity support, no fair pay, no grievance mechanism, and no respect for safety may push women out.
At Change in Content, we recently examined why fewer women work in India through a CSEP study. We argued that India’s challenge is not only social norms but also a shortage of quality jobs for women. The World Bank’s broader message reinforces the same point globally.
Women do not only need access to work. They need work worth staying in.
Why governments should rethink employment targets
Employment targets are useful. They give governments a number to chase. But the quality question forces a deeper review.
A government can create jobs through public works, informal expansion, gig platforms, low-wage services or small enterprises. Some of these can be useful. Some can be necessary in the short term. Yet if workers remain poor, unstable and unprotected, the economy may produce activity without dignity.
The World Bank’s jobs work also shows that countries facing the biggest workforce pressures may be the least prepared. Gill’s presentation says economies with the youngest workforces are often less business-ready, while mature economies tend to be better prepared. It also notes that support services are often inadequate in economies facing the greatest job challenges. (World Bank)
That creates a serious policy problem.
The countries that need jobs most urgently may also need the strongest reforms in business readiness, education, infrastructure, safety, childcare, finance and public services.
Counting jobs will not be enough. Governments will need to ask whether jobs improve earnings, productivity, skills and long-term resilience.
What better jobs should mean
A better job should do more than provide a daily income. It should offer fair wages, provide learning opportunities, and give workers a path to grow. At the same time, it should provide safety and dignity. It should reduce vulnerability. It should allow people to plan their lives.
For women, job quality must include additional practical tests.
- Can she reach the workplace safely?
- Can she return home safely?
- Does the job respect care responsibilities?
- Is pay transparent?
- Are women promoted?
- Is harassment handled seriously?
- Does the workplace provide basic facilities?
- Can women enter management tracks?
These are not side benefits. They decide whether women can participate fully.
A Change in Content story on labour market dynamics in million-plus cities showed that large Indian cities offer women more regular wage jobs and higher earnings than the urban average. At the same time, the gender income gap remains sharp. That is exactly why job quality must include equality, not only employment.
What businesses should take from this
The World Bank’s message is not meant for governments alone. Businesses shape job quality every day.
Businesses decide wages. They design roles and set schedules. They choose whether workers learn or stagnate. Businesses decide whether women are hired only at entry levels or also promoted into leadership roles. They decide whether contract workers remain invisible or are treated with fairness.
For employers, better jobs can also make business sense.
Workers who earn better, learn more and see a future are more likely to stay. Women who feel safe and respected are more likely to continue. Teams with career pathways build stronger internal talent. Companies that offer dignity in work build trust.
The next phase of talent strategy should not focus only on hiring faster. It should focus on creating jobs where people can grow.
World Bank on improving job quality: The Change in Content View
The World Bank’s focus on improving job quality arrives at the right moment.
The world is preparing for a record inflow of new job seekers. Many economies will be judged by whether they can absorb this generation into productive work. But the real test will be harder.
- Can these jobs pay enough?
- Can they reduce poverty?
- Can they help women enter and stay?
- Can they build skills?
- Can they create progression?
- Can they offer dignity?
At Change in Content, we see this as a woman’s work story.
A labour market that creates low-quality jobs will never unlock women’s full participation. Women need work that is safe, fairly paid, flexible where possible and linked to growth.
More jobs may open the door. Better jobs decide whether people can build a life.
Editorial Note and Sources
This article is based on publicly available World Bank material on the global jobs challenge and on Indermit S. Gill’s presentation, “Jobs for the next generation,” delivered during the World Bank’s 2026 jobs and development discussions. It interprets the World Bank’s job quality message through the Change in Content lens of women, work and economic opportunity. The article is intended for editorial and informational purposes only and should not be read as economic, labour policy, investment, legal or employment advice.
Sources used:
- World Bank: The Global Jobs Challenge
- World Bank: Jobs for the next generation: Findings from four reports, and a few ideas for a fifth
- ILO: Jobs for the next generation: Meeting the jobs challenge
