WSIS Action Line C7: E-Employment
International Labour Organisation
Session 181
Digitalization and employment
Background: The pandemic disrupted the labour market with a sudden expansion of the digital economy, further transforming the composition of labour demand. The many challenges that were there before the Pandemic are strengthened due to said transformation. The challenge from an employment policy perspective is to make sure that social justice and equality is not lost in the process, as new forms of business and work emerge from intensified digitalization.
This session will discuss opportunities and challenges of a growing digital economy and increasing digitalization of jobs. It will address the trade-offs and difficult policy choices arising from a digital transformation of employment around the world. This session will also explore the characteristics of employers and workers in the global digital economy, providing examples from around the world.
The expert panel will include ILO Officials as well as academics from Cambridge University.
Lorraine Charles is a social entrepreneur and a researcher. She is the Co-founder and Executive Director of Na'amal, which links forcibly displaced people with remote work opportunities and Research Associate for the Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge.
Shuting Xia is a Research Affiliate at the Department of Sociology, University of Cambridge. She holds a PhD from the same Department, studying self-employment in China.
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C4. Capacity building
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C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-business
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C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-learning
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C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-employment
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C11. International and regional cooperation
In addition to addressing employment issues in the framework of digitalisation (C7 E-Employment), this session will address issues pertaining to skills and education (C4 Capacity Building, C7: E-Learning). Furthermore, the session will address the differences between regions and countries (C11 International and regional cooperation). This session will also explore the characteristics of employers (C7 E Employers) and workers in the global digital economy.
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Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
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Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
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Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
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Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
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Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
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Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
This session will focus on Goal 8 "Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all" that is intricately linked to Goal 16 "Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies". It will also take into consideration the fact that the world of work is facing significant challenges with elevated levels of poverty and inequality, gender-based and other types of discrimination (Goal 5), a high share of working poor (Goal 1), while discussing labour supply issues, including skills and lifelong learning (Goal 4). Furthermore, as the rapid growth of digital technologies has widened the gap between countries and increased inequalities (Goal 10) the session will also take that into consideration
