The article analyses the evolution of automotive manufacturing technologies and organisations and assesses the impact of "fourth industrial revolution" concepts and policies (in Germany, US and China) in particular for employment and work. While it dismisses the idea that a fourth industrial...

The literature on the impact of trade on labour market outcomes has experienced a remarkable evolution in recent decades. Theory has moved on from oversimplified to more comprehensive models that take into account previously disregarded characteristics of firms and of product and labour markets,...

This working paper examines methodological approaches for the empirical assessment of the labour market impact of international trade at the macro and meso level. It considers the underlying assumptions, data requirements and the advantages and limitations associated with each of these...

Large and persistent gaps in social protection coverage, comprehensiveness and adequacy are linked to many barriers, including high levels of informality, institutional fragmentation of the social protection system and significant financing gaps for social protection in a context of limited...

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed significant gaps in the coverage, comprehensiveness and adequacy of social protection systems worldwide. These gaps have jeopardized the health, incomes and jobs of billions of people. Closing these protection gaps, facilitating faster and inclusive...

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive disruptions to the global economy and forced policymakers to respond to the newly created challenges. Many policy institutions have therefore had to rethink their established approaches and their usual policy responses.

This Working Paper provides a concrete illustration of how the existing international financial architecture could be activated more fully to mobilize the large sums required to respond decisively to the “great divergence” in COVID-19 crisis recovery between advanced and developing countries...

This report analyses the role that external shock financing can play in addressing the adverse impacts of external shocks in L&MICs. It summarises the growth impact of external shocks, maps out existing external shock financing facilities and instruments in the global financing architecture, and...