Work & Economy

There is significant disparity among economies, and even growing ones can fail to pay, house, or employ people well: youth unemployment, unstable rural incomes, and homelessness persist even in wealthy countries.

Artisan livelihoods

Why can't the world's artisans earn a living from work machines can't replicate?

Solution progress:

67%of India's handloom weavers earn under ₹5,000 (about $60) a month

Why can't some of the world's richest countries house their own people?

Solution progress:

45the average age a homeless man dies in England and Wales, over 30 years below the national average

Rural depopulation

Why are the world's rural regions emptying out, and can anything bring them back?

Solution progress:

744Japanese municipalities at risk of vanishing by 2050 as their young populations halve

Why do the families who grow the world's food remain its poorest?

Solution progress:

3×higher poverty rate in rural areas than in cities worldwide

Youth unemployment

Why can't a billion young people find work that pays enough to make a living?

Solution progress:

34%of employed young people in Africa live below the $2.15-a-day poverty line