Creating enough jobs is one of the most pressing challenges confronting the United States and economies worldwide.
But creating jobs domestically depends, in part, on creating them abroad. Without a global focus on just jobs — jobs complete with appropriate compensation, social protections, labor rights, and opportunities for economic mobility — promoting broad-based, sustainable economic growth anywhere is just an aspiration. We must turn aspiration into reality.
Featured Content
International Job Creation Policy Menu:
The Just Jobs Network highlights job creation ideas from select advanced and developing economies.
Just Jobs:
John Podesta and Sabina Dewan introduce Just Jobs, a new Center for American Progress program.
What Are Just Jobs?:
Sabina Dewan explains why it's important to have just jobs worldwide.
Why We Need an Equal Global Workforce :
Increasing women’s labor participation is not just about fairness, writes James Hairston. It’s good for business.
Filling in the Gaps in Our Trade Intelligence:
Sabina Dewan says that a new trade enforcement office and possible crackdown on China solar panel subsidies don’t address the root of the problem.
Getting State-Owned Enterprises Right in the Trans-Pacific Partnership :
Sabina Dewan details why state-owned enterprises need to operate just like any other business in this proposed free trade region and suggests ways to make that happen.
Rebuilding the Syrian Economy After Assad:
Jordan Bernhardt says it’s not too early to start thinking about how to reintegrate Syria back into the global economy in ways that help its people most swiftly.
Making U.S. Exports Work for Job Creation:
Developing a competitiveness strategy for sustainable export growth to restore our middle class requires several key initiatives, writes Sabina Dewan.
Helping Complete the Arab Spring:
Sabina Dewan presents key ways the United States and Europe can help build sustained economic growth in the region.
Obama Forging Stronger Asia-Pacific Economic Ties:
Sabina Dewan details what President Obama hopes to achieve at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit this week and why it is important for American jobs, exports, and growth.
Three Things the G-20 Must Do for Job Creation :
The Just Jobs Network presents three ways the leaders of the Group of 20 nations can create good jobs with safe working conditions and opportunities for economic mobility.
Sustaining Spring in Egypt:
Sabina Dewan announces the first annual meeting in Cairo of the global “Just Jobs Network,” which will explore ways to generate stable, equal, and sustainable growth through good jobs in Egypt and the Arab world.
Social Protection Is a Necessity, Not a Privilege :
The Great Recession highlights deficiencies in social protection systems that should be in place to promote broad-based economic growth.
Beyond Moral Justification:
Isha Vij and Sabina Dewan examine the importance of delivering just jobs to women.
Organized Labor’s Role in Democratic Transitions: Jeff Becker outlines why the inclusion of civil society groups such as labor unions is crucial to building well-functioning democracies.
Trade Unions Are Key to a Successful Transition in Egypt: Sabina Dewan explains why strong trade unions are essential for “just jobs” in Egypt and for a smooth democratic transition.
'Just Jobs' Trump Everything Else: Knut Panknin examines the critical role of employment in the democratic and social transformation of Middle East and North Africa.
Scandinavia’s Intriguing Welcome Mat: Åsmund Arup Seip of the Fafo Institute for Labour and Social Research in Norway examines the balance struck in Northern Europe integrating foreign, European, and domestic workers.
Just Jobs to Prevent a Region of Bouazizis: Many young workers in the Middle East lack opportunities for good, well-paying jobs and must rely on informal jobs to make ends meet, writes Laura Mitchell.
Just Jobs Depend on a Strong Labor Movement: Liv Torres discusses the challenges international labor is up against as it strives to create better working conditions worldwide.
Is Job Creation in Haiti an Obstacle to Reconstruction?: Current job-creation efforts in Haiti after the earthquake are halting the reconstruction process and need to be re-examined, write Henriette Lunde and Amsale Temesgen.
Using Trade to Create Good Jobs at Home and Abroad: CAP hosts U.S.T.R. Ambassador Ron Kirk for a discussion on how trade policy can generate opportunities for workers around the globe.
Guiding Principles for Just Jobs: Ben Moxham from the Trades Union Congress in the United Kingdom applauds the U.N. effort to hold businesses accountable worldwide for their labor practices, but suggests further steps.
Bringing Coherence to the Promotion of Just Jobs: Developed and developing countries alike must get behind an agenda that focuses on the creation of “just jobs” for the global economy.
It’s the Jobs, Stupid!: Job creation is the common goal that G-20 countries should be banding together to work on, writes Sabina Dewan.
A Win-Win: Why Promoting Global Development Is Good for Us: Sabina Dewan underscores why the president’s speech before the United Nations and his new U.S. Global Development Policy will make America more secure and our economy more competitive.
Planning Beyond 2015: Renewing momentum toward the Millennium Development Goals will require the UN to recast priorities, write Isha Vij and Sabina Dewan.
Export Strengths Underlie Lagging Economy : Sabina Dewan and Christian E. Weller examine the key export factors that can lead our economy on a sustained, broad-based recovery.
From Bangladesh to You: The connection between workers’ rights in the developing world and our world of work in America is closer than you think, writes Sabina Dewan.
Let’s Rise to the Challenge on Labor Standards: International labor standards are an imperative that allows us all to compete on an even playing field, and enforcement efforts should be applauded, writes Sabina Dewan.
Creating Just Jobs Worldwide: A CAP event co-sponsored by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Business Council for Global Development examines how to create good jobs and worker-social protections to generate economic growth worldwide.
Wage Inequality Is a Global Challenge: The International Labour Office’s most recent report on wages shows why there is a global social, political, and economic imperative to combat wage inequality, writes Sabina Dewan.

