Kenya’s ride-hailing drivers say their jobs offer dignity despite the challenges: Many argue that gig work involves exploitation, as research and media coverage have highlighted. But that doesn’t seem to deter ride hailing drivers on platforms like Uber and Bolt. In Kenya, in fact, many new drivers continued to join platforms even as fares were …
Southern Africa’s rangelands do many jobs, from feeding cattle to storing carbon: a review of 60 years of research: South Africa’s rangelands have always had great value for the country. These areas offer more than just grazing for livestock. They provide services like purifying water, storing carbon and conserving biodiversity. The grassland biome (28%), along …
6 in 10 young South Africans have no jobs. Why some still reject offers of work: South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. The official rate is 32%, rising to 42% when discouraged job seekers are included. Among young people aged 15 to 24, unemployment reaches a staggering 60%. While …
Social media ‘soft girls’ depend on men for money – but Sweden once used state ‘influencers’ to urge women to get jobs: stokkete/Shutterstock The idea of becoming a “soft girl” – a woman who embrace values that are seen as soft, such as beauty and family life, at the expense of a career – is …
Jobs of the future: South Africa has major gaps in skills needed to shape the green economy: Globally, there’s a shortage of people with the expertise and skills needed to drive the transition towards a green economy – known as green talent. The pool of green talent needs to be doubled by 2050 if the …
End of coal in South Africa: what 100,000 workers will need when their jobs go: South Africa’s move to renewable energy means that the coal industry will be phased out over the coming decades. This transition away from a fossil-fuel based economy will affect over 100,000 workers in coal mining and coal-fired power generation – …
Mexican government failing to provide decent jobs for vulnerable youth – leaving the door open to cartel recruitment: Mexico’s “war on drugs” began in 2006, when the newly elected president, Felipe Calderón, ordered thousands of troops onto the streets in an attempt to combat drug violence. The results have been disastrous. The government’s military operations …
Climate quitting: the people leaving their fossil fuel jobs because of climate change: Mayuree Moonhirun/Shutterstock As the climate crisis gets ever more severe, the fossil fuel industry is struggling to recruit new talent. And now a number of existing employees are deciding to leave their jobs, some quietly, some very publicly, because of concerns over …
Jobs in South Africa: the labour market is recovering from COVID – but unskilled and less educated people are still being left behind: For more than three decades the South African economy has had very high rates of joblessness. The country’s economy has been unable to create enough jobs for its growing army of workers. …
Why young workers are leaving fossil fuel jobs – and what to do if you feel like ‘climate quitting’: C_Production/Shutterstock Are you frustrated with your employer’s lack of commitment to sustainability? Maybe “climate quitting” is for you. Climate quitting means leaving your job due to concerns about your employer’s impact on the climate or because …
The NHS relies on nurses from poorer countries to fill jobs – here’s how to tackle this problem: DC Studio/Shutterstock Recent media reports have highlighted the issue of nurses coming to the UK to work for the NHS from poorer countries with their own nursing shortfalls. This is a problem because when nurses leave countries …
AI could threaten some jobs, but it is more likely to become our personal assistant: AI systems are likely to find quick traction as assistants to humans. PeopleImages.com – Yuri A / Shutterstock BT recently announced that it would be reducing its staff by 55,000, with around 11,000 of these related to the use of …
I’ve worked in precarious jobs for more than 10 years – here’s what unions should do to support migrant workers: As I rush to clean everything before the sink overfills with plates and pans, I am confronted, yet again, with the brutality of my working conditions. My feet and legs throb and ache from sole …
We need to discuss what jobs robots should do, before the decision is made for us: Shutterstock / Frame Stock Footage The social separation imposed by the pandemic led us to rely on technology to an extent we might never have imagined – from Teams and Zoom to online banking and vaccine status apps. Now, …
Better quality jobs are what the UK economy needs to end strikes, staff shortages and low productivity: Productivity in the UK over the last 15 years has been described as growing at a “snail’s pace”. Meanwhile, wages lag way behind inflation, and numerous sectors are suffering from staff shortages. One thing that connects these three …
Overconfidence dictates who gets ‘top jobs’ and research shows men benefit more than women: fizkes/Shutterstock There has been a steady stream of popular literature in recent years telling women to “lean in”, be more confident, and not worry about “imposter syndrome”. Men, on the other hand, are often seen to be overconfident compared to women. …
Women occupy very few academic jobs in Ghana. Culture and society’s expectations are to blame: There is a dearth of women teaching at institutions of higher education in Ghana Wikimedia Commons/Flickr In many parts of the world, men dominate the higher education sector. A 2022 UNESCO report found that, globally, fewer than two out of …
With the two top jobs in politics now held by women, Italy just became a real-time case study in female leadership: Italy elected its first female prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Fratelli d’Italia party, in October last year. Now, the leftwing opposition Democratic party has elected its own female leader for the …