Empowering Workers, Delivering a Jobs-rich Recovery

As part of an OECD Forum series, the virtual event Empowering Workers, Delivering a Jobs-rich Recovery took place on 13 July 2021.

This event has now ended and registration is closed – but don't worry, you can still watch the replay!

Prospects for the world economy have brightened. Yet, the lasting and unequal impact of the pandemic on employment is not likely to go away soon. The jobs recovery will lag the wider economic recovery and securing a job is not only about income, but also about access to healthcare, childcare, education, housing and pensions. Whilst the crisis has profoundly disrupted lives and livelihoods, it presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver a jobs-rich, fairer, greener and more connected future. Let’s make it work for everyone.

On 7 July the OECD launched the 2021 edition of the Employment Outlook, the OECD’s annual report on jobs and employment in OECD countries. Each edition reviews recent trends, policy developments, and prospects. As vaccination campaigns continue and some countries begin to loosen COVID restrictions, the 2021 edition looks at the long-standing structural issues that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis in OECD countries.

Read the latest OECD Employment Outlook 2021: Navigating the COVID-19 crisis and recovery and find out more about the challenges brought about by the crisis and the policies to address them.

Back to conversations

Willemien Bax

Head, OECD Forum, OECD

Skills in the Digital Workplace

Started almost 3 years ago

What needs to happen to equip people with the skills they need in today’s more digital workplace? What is the role of business in making that happen?

Alfonso Giuliano Navarro Carvallo almost 3 years ago

virtual and face-to-face work, to adapt little by little within the season of the pandemic. opportunity to acquire more knowledge in webinar worldwide.

Hirona Matayoshi over 2 years ago

To equip people with skills for today's digital workplace is easy, universities succeeded with on-line education. The problem now is academic economics. Japan's Ministry of Education made a "Policy U-turn" to return to the traditional face-to-face classes in universities here in Japan. Although, knowing the new "Corona Virus variant" is more infectious, the Ministry of Education has ordered all universities to return back to face-to-face classes even though the infection rate is sky-rocketing for the coming new year of 2021.

The role of "business as usual" is to make sure that no one is left behind. Unfortunately, there will be those who are left behind. On January 16, 2021, Japan will have their annual university entrance exams. This means every high school student, in the country applying for university, will travel throughout Japan to take their exam in a variety of universities and will cluster in each of the institutions. We professors have been ordered to wear face guards and masks for the exams while acknowledging the sacrifice. This means that there is a chance of clusters, happening in a variety of prefectures, all over Japan contributing to the spread of the pandemic.

After the entrance exams for each university in Japan, the universities will call the student body back to school for traditional face-to-face classes. The excuse is simple. "The students are young and even if they contract the disease they will survive", is what the ministry says. What about the teachers above 50? Will they survive or will they be hooked up to a ventilator or tourniquet? They are one's left behind in a mass sacrifice for the "youthful campus-life experience" for our beloved future prodigies who might even enter the ministry of education someday. The academic economics is behind this sacrifice. Professors all over the country will follow orders since we signed up for this as educators. Although, some of us will be left behind.

Professor Hirona Matayoshi

Yokohama National University

Sources:

Japan Universities Asked To Give More Face to Face Classes https://sp.m.jiji.com/english/show/8646

Japan Confirms 1st Cases More Infectious Corona Variant https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/12/8134516e1c24-tokyo-reports-2nd-highest-daily-rise-of-884-new-coronavirus-cases.html