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As world leaders met in Davos for the World Economic Forum in January, geopolitical uncertainties, new technologies and changing trade relationships have emerged as challenges impacting the world of work.

However, with these leaders’ primary focus on artificial intelligence and the digital revolution, a critical question arises: what about the challenge of jobs today?

A recurring theme in Davos was the persistent optimism about the private sector’s ability to generate wealth and create jobs, with governments encouraged to incentivize corporations. However, research has found no evidence that corporate tax reductions lead to increased employment or economic growth. Instead, the rich got richer without any significant social or economic benefits.

In contrast, employment in the informal economy has been associated with reductions in extreme poverty and, in many regions, serves as a vital source of income for vulnerable women and girls. And yet, these workers are seen as obstacles to development. Their contributions continue to be undervalued and misrepresented in policy spaces, whilst governments disproportionately target the informal economy as a way to increase revenues.

💡 Read more in our latest blog by Siviwe Mhlana and Mike Rogan: https://www.wiego.org/blog/davos-elephant-room-taxation-informal-economy/

Waste pickers are among the most vulnerable to losing their livelihoods in the transition towards a circular economy. How can we ensure circular economy models lead to a just transition — and that waste pickers are not left behind? ✊

In this article originally published in Sudlink, WIEGO’s Sonia Dias and Taylor Cass Talbott of the International Alliance of Waste Pickers - GlobalRec write: “In a world of widening wealth disparity and growing environmental crises, we cannot afford to leave green workers behind; we need solutions that address both problems. What constitutes a just transition for waste pickers may look different depending on the context, but the basic principles of recognition, sufficient investment and meaningful inclusion in planning and implementation are the same around the world.””

💡 Read their reflections on how to ensure a just transition towards circularity through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and other systems: https://www.wiego.org/blog/there-is-no-circularity-without-waste-pickers/