Brookings India hosted a Development Seminar on “World Development Report 2019: The Changing Nature of Work” with Michal Rutkowski, Senior Director for Social Protection and Jobs at the World Bank.

Abstract: Jobs, or the lack of them, are centerstage in all conversations about India’s economic growth.  With technology changing the demand for skills there remains a need to build high order cognitive skills, socio-behavioral skills, and adaptability. All this requires strong human capital foundations and lifelong learning opportunities. With this backdrop, this seminar will discuss and analyse the findings from the 2019 World Development Report (WDR) – The Changing Nature of Work. The report studies how labor markets are changing as a result of advances in technology and discusses practical strategies for countries to adapt to and benefit from. Focussing on three areas of three areas for policy action – Human Capital and Lifelong Learning, Social Protection and Labor Policies and Revenue mobilization, the seminar will discuss the changing nature of work and how best to prepare people for jobs of the future.

Speakers: Prof. Rakesh Sinha, MP

                  Baijayant Panda, Indian politician 

                  Govindraj Ethiraj, TV & print journalist and founder of Boom and IndiaSpend

Speaker Profile: Michal Rutkowski is the Senior Director for Social Protection and Jobs – overseeing the World Bank Global Practice responsible for protecting poor and vulnerable from shocks through improving their job opportunities, earning capacity, and social insurance and social assistance (safety net) coverage. Rutkowski holds an M.Sc. and Ph.D from Warsaw School of Economics and finished his post-graduate studies at the London School of Economics. His published work covers, among others, issues on labor markets and social security. He was a core team member of the 1995 World Development Report “Workers in an Integrated World”- the World Bank’s annual flagship research publication.