Jobs Can’t Wait: Making Growth Work

Inside the push to create more and better jobs

April 24, 2026 Jobs took center stage at last week’s World Bank–IMF Spring Meetings—from packed plenaries to breakout sessions and the conversations in between. The message was clear: Jobs don’t happen by accident. Creating them requires business-enabling conditions that turn growth into real opportunity. That same thinking underpins Water Forward, our new multi-stakeholder platform. Together with our global partners, we are elevating water security from a development challenge to a driver of jobs, investment, and economic growth. This week, we also explore: How MIGA’s $100 billion milestone expands its capacity to mobilize private investment. Why biofuels are gaining attention as a buffer against oil shocks. What Paraguay is getting right in turning growth into better jobs and rising incomes. Plus: Don’t miss Ajay’s candid podcast conversation, “Why Jobs Fix Everything,” for his take on the scale of the jobs challenge.

Jobs Can’t Wait—and Other Spring Meetings Highlights  Jobs took center stage at last week’s World Bank–IMF Spring Meetings, conveying a clear message: when businesses flourish, so do work opportunities—especially for young people. At our flagship Water Forward event, we launched a bold, multi‑stakeholder platform to turn water security into a catalyst for jobs, investment, and growth.

EDITOR'S PICKS

MIGA’s $100 Billion Milestone  MIGA has surpassed $100 billion in total guarantees issued—a milestone in mobilizing private investment for development. The result: more financing flowing into emerging markets, supporting economic growth and job creation, and improving people’s lives.

Can Biofuels Help Buffer Oil Shocks?  Oil insecurity continues to shape economic fortunes—but new evidence shows that linking agriculture and energy policy can strengthen resilience against global oil shocks. Biofuels, alongside electrification and renewable power, could play a key role in reducing vulnerability.

What’s Behind Paraguay’s 5% Growth? Jobs  Paraguay’s rapid growth is being driven by a shift in its labor market, with more workers moving into stable, better-paying roles—boosting incomes, especially for the lowest earners.

Ceylon Cinnamon is Creating Jobs in Sri Lanka  Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Cinnamon farmers are gaining access to export markets through international certification—unlocking new income opportunities. Supported by AgriConnect, the initiative now reaches over 70,000 growers and supports more than 350,000 jobs, most of them held by women.

WATCH AND LISTEN

Ajay Banga on Why “Jobs Fix Everything” In this podcast-style conversation with Nikhil Kamath, World Bank President Ajay Banga explains why job creation is central to development—and what it will take to create opportunities for 1.2 billion young people entering the workforce.

DATA FOR DEVELOPMENT

	5	takeaways from the Spring Meetings’ data updates.

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IN THE NEWS

MDB Heads Deepen Collaboration to Support Countries Through Heightened Global Uncertainty  Joint MDB Statement on Critical Minerals to Manufacturing Value Chains  World Bank Supports Belize in Expanding Early Childhood Education and Women’s Access to Jobs  View More News

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

		What is the economic outlook for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, & Pakistan region? April 29 | 9:30am EDT live.worldbank.org

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