The employment landscape has changed visibly since the arrival of artificial intelligence (AI), Habib Nasser Rab, Practice Manager, Prosperity, at the World Bank Group, said on Wednesday (May 20, 2026) in a session titled “A sharp, data-driven framing of the 210 million job gap”.
He said the East Asia and Pacific region was facing a critical turning point in its labour market, with the working-age population (aged 15-65) expected to rise by as many as 320 million over the next 10 years.
However, only about 110 million jobs are expected to be available, reflecting a future jobs-shortage crisis.
The situation has been compounded by the economic slowdown after the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by higher debt burdens and lower investment, slowing the expansion of “good jobs”.