Forces for Change

As we celebrate Youth Skills Day, a global initiative established by the UN in 2014 to underscore the critical role of skill development for young people in fostering employment, decent work and entrepreneurship, it is crucial to examine the emerging challenges that young workers face in today’s evolving world of work and to explore innovative solutions that are ready to confront these challenges directly.

No longer seen as a mere ‘nice to have’, many employers are now putting major efforts into building an ethical HR practice. In the post-pandemic world, the climate crisis, the attitudes of a new generation of workers and new waves of ESG-focussed regulation on the horizon make this task more urgent than ever. Corporations across the globe are becoming more aware of their impact on the planet and the need to address a whole range of social and governance issues.

Both in regions that have experienced a population surge over recent decades and in economies in which the population is gradually shrinking, transition is the hallmark of our times and the shifts entailed carry substantial implications for the employment market. To remain relevant and competitive, businesses will need to proactively consider population trends when planning their workforce strategies. So today, as the world celebrates UN World Population Day, we explore the key demographic trends affecting labour markets across regions and countries.