Development economists have sounded the alarm: we face a global demographic crisis that threatens massive global labor shortages and resulting economic doom. According to the World Bank, demographic growth patterns are intensifying global competition for workers and talent, creating a “great divergence.” On the one hand, advanced economies face aging societies, where the ratio of working adults to (non-working) elderly has dropped dramatically. On the other hand, the economies of low- and middle-income countries cannot generate enough jobs to meet the demands of a rapidly growing youth population.2 Climate change further compounds these drivers of migration, diminishing economic opportunities and amplifying pressures to migrate.
For Protection or For Profit? Non-State Actors in Global Labor Migration Governance (Vol. 57, Fall 2024)
10 Mar 2025