The 2024 Jobs and Development Conference
The 2024 Jobs and Development Conference, co-organised by the DPRU, was held in Cairo, Egypt, on 8-9 October 2024.
The conference is organized in collaboration with the World Bank, the International Labor Organization (ILO), UNU-WIDER, the Development Policy Research Unit at University of Cape Town (DPRU, South Africa), the Institute for Structural Research (IBS, Poland), and the HKUST Institute for Emerging Market Studies (IEMS, Hong Kong). In 2024, the conference was hosted by J-PAL MENA at the American University in Cairo, in Egypt. Additionally, the participation of a number of African scholars this year was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with support from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. These organizations combine expertise and experience in labor market dynamics and economic policy.
Background
This is the seventh edition of the Jobs and Development Conference, which focuses on addressing key issues such as job creation, skills development, and inclusive economic policies. The conference gathers researchers, policymakers, and experts to discuss job challenges in low- and middle-income countries. The programme include keynote speeches, panel discussions, and over 60 paper presentations focusing on youth employment, gender, labor markets, and technological change to advance global knowledge on jobs and development policies.
The 2024 #Jobs4Dev Conference
Prof. Haroon Bhorat, DPRU Director, was a co-host of the event, siting on the Executive Committee and representing the now-concluded Network on Jobs and Development (NJD). Haroon also presented during the UNU-WIDER Special Session:
Two DPRU researchers presented research papers in the parallel sessions:
- Benjamin Stanwix delivered a presentation on "The Labour Market Effects of South Africa's National Minimum Wage" during the Labor market programmes and regulation session, chaired by Prof. Gary Fields of Cornell University; and
- Timothy Köhler presented the paper "The labour market effects of cash transfers to the unemployed: Evidence from South Africa" in the Society, economic activity and the environment session.
DPRU administrative staff held two key roles on the 2024 Conference Organising Committee: Sarah Marriott (DPRU Communications Manager) as Project Manager (in collaboration with local organising team manager: Heba Hany of J-PAL MENA, AUC), and Wadia Naidoo (DPRU Administrative Assistant) as a key member of the logistics and planning team (with Ehab Fawzy and Zeina Osama, both of J-PAL MENA, AUC).
Recordings of key sessions
Selected sessions such as the welcome, Keynote Speaker, the Plenary Panel, and the Special Sessions are available to view online here:
Session Recordings
Day 1:
Population and Economic Growth
Randomized Evaluations in MENA
Day 2:
The 2022 Conference, hosted by the DPRU
With a special focus on “The Challenge of Creating Better Jobs in Developing Countries” the 2022 #Jobs4Dev Conference was hosted by the DPRU, and held in Cape Town, South Africa.
This edition of the #Jobs4Dev conference featured a wide range of the latest research such as youth unemployment in Africa, education & skills, migration and remittances, climate change, and gender gaps in the labor market. Read more here.