Report Says Temporary, Low-Skilled Jobs No Longer Meet Labour Market Needs in a Digital and Climate-Challenged World
The World Bank has urged governments to fundamentally redesign public works programmes, warning that short-term, low-skilled jobs are no longer sufficient to address rising unemployment and widening skills gaps.
In a new report titled Innovations in Public Works: Rethinking Public Works for Jobs and Skills in a Changing World, the global lender said traditional public works schemes often focused on temporary infrastructure projects offer limited long-term economic value and do little to prepare participants for sustainable employment.
Public works programmes are widely used across low- and middle-income countries as a form of social protection, providing temporary income support for vulnerable groups. However, the World Bank said these programmes must now evolve to reflect labour markets increasingly shaped by digital transformation, demographic pressures and climate risks.
“A changing world calls for rethinking how public works can better support jobs and skills,” the report said, stressing that such programmes should move beyond short-term relief and help participants build skills relevant to expanding sectors of the economy.
Three New Directions for Public Works
The report identified a new generation of public works programmes built around three key areas: care services, digital work and green jobs.
Under care-based public works, participants provide services such as childcare, elder care and home-based support rather than engaging solely in physical infrastructure projects. In countries like Burkina Faso and Rwanda, childcare-linked public works programmes have enabled more women to take up paid employment while gaining caregiving skills. Similar initiatives in South Africa support vulnerable populations, including older persons and people living with HIV/AIDS, while creating paid care jobs.
Digital Public Works Gain Ground
The World Bank also highlighted the growing importance of digital public works, where participants help create digital public assets such as maps, datasets and digitised records.
In Kenya, young people have used smartphones to map buildings and gather data for urban planning. In Mali and Tanzania, participants traced infrastructure using satellite imagery, while in Sierra Leone, youths in flood-prone areas are digitising flood-risk information to improve disaster preparedness.
According to the report, these programmes provide hands-on digital skills and are especially accessible to women and young people, as many tasks can be carried out remotely.
Green Jobs and Climate Resilience
The third pillar, green public works, combines employment creation with environmental protection and climate adaptation. Examples cited include land restoration and water management projects in India, coastal protection initiatives in Fiji and flood-control efforts in Malawi.
The World Bank said such programmes not only generate income but also equip participants with skills in agriculture, environmental management and conservation, while helping communities adapt to climate change.
Long-Term Impact and Policy Benefits
The report noted that well-designed public works programmes can be more inclusive, flexible and cost-effective when they prioritise skills development and long-term employability.
According to the bank, these approaches are particularly beneficial for women, young people and individuals living in fragile or conflict-affected regions, while also supporting broader policy goals such as climate resilience, digital transformation and human capital development.
The report was authored by Christian Bodewig, Practice Manager for Social Protection and Labour Global Engagement at the World Bank; Michael Weber, Senior Economist at the Human Capital Project; Marko Bucik, a social protection and labour consultant; and Aditi Lal, a consultant with the Human Capital Project.
The World Bank concluded that countries investing in forward-looking public works programmes could achieve greater value from public spending, protect vulnerable populations in the short term and better prepare workers for the jobs of the future.
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