Past Research Projects

Employment: The Impact of Global Changes in Industrial Structure and Demographics (Fifth Joint Research Project with IPD)

There is growing concern around global employment trends. Population growth will increase labor force supply but whether job creation that meets this can actually follow needs to be closely watched. In particular, in Africa, exponential growth in labor force is forecasted; according to a medium-range projection by the United Nations, the global increase of working age population is expected to be around 1.5 billion between 2010 and 2050, of which 1 billion is expected to take place in Africa. The key challenge here is whether inclusive growth that absorbs this increase in labor force can be realized. Meanwhile in South Asia, the rate of job growth has become slower than that of economic growth. A situation like this is often called jobless growth. Moreover, how employment around the world will be affected by factors such as advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, changes in economic structure and supply chains following the COVID-19 pandemic, and the transition to green economy, is yet to be fully understood.

JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development (JICA Ogata Research Institute), together with the Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD), a non-profit research initiative at Columbia University, will analyze these issues around employment from multiple angles, spanning both macro and micro perspectives. By collaborating with various experts, topics including the following will be examined: the background and causes of the global lack of labor force demand, and measures to address it; the relationship between employment and advancements in digital economy and robotization; and the potential that non-manufacturing sectors have while manufacturing-led growth models are showing their limitations.

- Joint Research Project with IPD
Through collaboration with overseas experts and research institutes, JICA Ogata Research Institute is conducting research work on key development challenges, expanding international research networks, and strengthening outreach and communication efforts. Since the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) in 2008, JICA Ogata Research Institute has been conducting joint research activities with IPD, which is led by Professor Joseph Stiglitz. The new research project on global employment issues is the fifth collaborative project between the two institutes. The research themes of the past four joint projects are listed below.

_ Researchers
Joseph Stiglitz, Columbia University professor and the president of the Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD)
Harada Tetsuya, executive senior research fellow
Nakata Ryosuke, former chief economistat JICA