This year, I attended the World Bank Group and IMF Annual Meetings for the first time - not in person, but virtually. I attended the meetings as an IDA Champion for youth. In this role, I help to advocate for development initiatives championed by the International Development Association (IDA) through the Youth Champions Circle, making way for youth to not only be participants, but architects of sustainable development.

Through the World Bank's YouTube livestreams, I followed the discussions as they unfolded, replaying sessions late into the night. It was my way of joining a global conversation about one of the most pressing challenges of our time: how to create meaningful work for a new generation.

The theme this year - jobs, particularly for youth and women - felt deeply personal. In many parts of the world, work remains the dividing line between hope and despair.

Two numbers that stayed with me

During the Townhall with Civil Society, two statistics were shared that lingered with me long after the session ended. By 2050, about 80 percent of the world's population will live in what are now considered developing countries. And within the next 10 to 15 years, 1.2 billion young people will enter the labor market, yet only about 400 million jobs will be created. That leaves roughly 800 million young people without formal employment.

As I listened, I thought back to scenes from my own country, Malawi. I remembered when a hotel was hiring, and thousands of young people queued up to apply. More recently, when the government advertised openings for Health Surveillance Assistants, one of the interviews had to be held in a stadium to accommodate the crowd. Those long lines were not just about jobs, they were about dignity. They were about young people showing up, hoping that this time, perhaps, their names might be called.

The fragility of hope

As hope among young people erodes, many lose their optimism and begin to slip into frustration, creating conditions that can heighten instability, provoke unrest, and push more people to migrate in search of opportunities.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) echoes this concern. In its Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024 report, it notes that young people are almost three times more likely to be unemployed than adults. But what the statistics don't capture is how unemployment erodes self-worth.

Without work, young people lose not just income, but also voice. In many communities, employment determines whether one's opinion is valued, whether one can start a family, access credit, or even command respect.

Work is more than economic activity - it is identity. It is belonging.

What the World Bank is doing

During the Townhall, a young woman named Saima Ntinda asked a direct question:

“Youth unemployment in Africa is very high. What is the World Bank's policy to create employment opportunities?”

The response given was outlining of the Bank's three-pillar jobs strategy: foundations, policy, and capital.

Foundations - Building the basics that make jobs possible: roads, electricity, education, and healthcare. Through its IDA and IBRD arms, the World Bank supports governments to strengthen these foundations.

In Ethiopia, a World Bank-supported agricultural program created nearly one million jobs, almost half for women and youth.

Policy - Helping countries create a fair environment where businesses can invest and thrive. Transparent taxation, clear land rights, and predictable regulations are essential for growth.

Capital - Mobilizing private investment through the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), which offer risk guarantees and financing to spur private-sector job creation.

These three pillars are designed to work together - to build systems where ambition turns into opportunity.

Creating jobs where people are

One of the most powerful ideas in the World Bank's current approach is the focus on creating jobs where people already live. Rather than pushing migration from rural to urban areas, or from developing to developed countries, the Bank is investing in local economies.

This is where IDA particularly becomes key. IDA helps countries establish the preconditions for jobs by investing in infrastructure, health, and education. It also helps countries create the right conditions for private investment by supporting a predictable regulatory environment through strengthening governance, reinforcing transparency and anti-corruption, and adoption of business-enabling policies.

This approach not only builds community resilience, but also reduces the desperation that drives unsafe migration.

The World Bank has identified five job-rich sectors that hold the greatest promise for inclusive growth: energy, agribusiness, healthcare, tourism, and value-added manufacturing. Each of these sectors can help create sustainable jobs that reach those often left behind, especially youth and women.

Jobs and peace

A representative from World Vision asked an insightful question during the Townhall:

“What is the role of jobs in peacebuilding, especially in fragile states?” It's a critical link that's often overlooked. Jobs are not just about income; they are about stability and peace.

When people have decent work, they have something to protect. In fragile and conflict-affected settings, World Bank findings show that employment programs not only create livelihoods, they also ease community tensions and build trust in local leadership.

Work gives people purpose. Without it, despair finds dangerous outlets.

Technology and the future of work

The discussion also touched on Artificial Intelligence (AI) - not as an abstract global trend, but as a practical question for developing countries. Can technology help create jobs, not just replace them?

One idea that resonated with me was“small AI” - AI tools built for local realities, using smaller datasets, designed to solve specific challenges like optimizing agriculture, improving health delivery, or managing renewable energy. This reframed technology not as a threat, but as a tool for inclusion.

Jobs as dignity

As I reflected on all these conversations, one truth became clearer: jobs are the surest path to dignity. A job restores self-worth. It allows a young person to plan, to dream, to belong.
Research and work supports this - studies by the World Bank and the work of UNDP have shown that employment improves well-being, strengthens civic participation, and enhances social cohesion.

Behind every job statistic is a human story. A person standing in line, holding a certificate, hoping for a chance.

A shared mission

The challenge ahead is too big for any one actor to tackle alone. The World Bank's agenda can set direction, but progress will depend on partnerships - between governments, civil society, the private sector, faith-based organisations, and young people themselves.

This is an all-hands-on-deck moment. Because at its core, the jobs agenda is not only about economics - it is about humanity.

Conclusion: Jobs as the currency of hope

When I closed my laptop after the final session of the Annual Meetings, I found myself thinking again about those queues in Malawi. The long wait, the laughter shared in uncertainty, the stubbornness of hope.

Those young people - and millions like them around the world - are not just waiting for jobs. They are waiting for recognition.

If we can turn the energy of 1.2 billion young people into opportunity - through the right foundations, fair policies, and brave investment - then perhaps we can transform this moment of risk into one of the greatest chances for shared prosperity in our lifetime.

The post Reflections on the World Bank Annual Meetings: Jobs, dignity, and the future of work appeared first on Caribbean News Global.

MENAFN23112025000232011072ID1110386313