What is the FutureWORKS Asia Project?

FutureWORKS Asia is part of the FutureWORKS Collective, a global initiative supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, aimed at addressing the evolving challenges in the world of work across the Global South. As the Asian arm of the broader FutureWORKS network, this project focuses on conducting innovative, high-quality research to understand and shape the future of work in the region.

LIRNEasia is leading the development of a regional research network and commissioning high-quality, innovative, and gender-responsive research to advance skills and policies for an inclusive and sustainable future of work in Asia. Through a competitive selection process, LIRNEasia is supporting 12 research projects as part of this multi-year initiative.

Through collaboration with regional stakeholders, policy influencers, and research partners, LIRNEasia works to build a vibrant research network that generates actionable insights and promotes policy recommendations to advance skills for the future of work in Asia. This work contributes to shaping public policy processes, driving innovation, and supporting the creation of more equitable and sustainable employment opportunities across the region.

FutureWORKS Asia operates alongside other regional hubs across the Global South. Parallel networks are being developed in Africa by the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Ghana; in the MENA region by the American University of Beirut; and in Latin America and the Caribbean by Red Sudamericana de Economía Aplicada. These regional efforts are connected through a global hub led by the JustJobs Network, which facilitates knowledge-sharing, dissemination, and capacity-building activities across regions, fostering collaboration and shared learning on the future of work.

The FutureWORKS Asia initiative is currently implementing projects under two cycles, with seven research projects actively underway across the region.

FutureWORKS Asia:
Navigating the Evolving Labour Landscape

The Asia Pacific region is diverse, with significant differences in labor markets, institutions, and stages of development. Home to over 60% of the global population and more than half of the world’s workforce, this region plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of work.

However, the region is facing transformative challenges. Megatrends such as rapid advancements in digital technology—particularly AI—climate change, and demographic shifts are reshaping labor markets in profound ways. These changes are disrupting traditional employment patterns, widening inequalities, and creating new opportunities and risks across sectors.

Technological advancements, including automation, AI, and the rise of platform-based work, are transforming job markets. While some roles are being displaced, new ones are emerging, demanding different skill sets. Unfortunately, the impact is often felt disproportionately by marginalized groups. At the same time, the urgency of addressing climate change is driving transitions to low-carbon economies, which will impact labor markets across industries.

Demographic trends, such as aging populations and rising migration, are adding further complexity, straining social protection systems and reshaping workforce dynamics. As these megatrends unfold, FutureWORKS Asia aims to provide insights and solutions for navigating these challenges, ensuring that the future of work is inclusive, resilient, and sustainable for all.

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada recently launched a global south research network –FutureWORKS — dedicated to researching and addressing the challenges posed by the changing landscape of work across the global south. Through shared research, network consolidation, and collaboration in public policy processes, FutureWORKS seeks to foster innovation that advances skills for the future of work and promote decent work globally.

LIRNEasia has been selected to lead in the building of the Asian segment/cluster of a global south research network over a period of five years. Through this network, LIRNEasia will commission high-quality, innovative and gender responsive research and lead a regional research network to advance skills and policies for an inclusive and sustainable future of work in Asia. LIRNEasia, will award over 12 research grants over the period of five years, through a competitive selection process to this end. Grantees will form the Asian network, which will be a sub-net of the larger global south network.
There is a considerable amount of heterogeneity in the labour markets, institutions, and stages of development of the Asia Pacific region. The region is home to 60% of the world’s population, and over half of the world’s labour force.

Megratrends such as advancements in digital technology (particularly AI), climate change, the climate transition, as well as demographic shifts and globalization are reshaping job markets, disrupting traditional employment patterns, and exacerbating inequalities.

Technological changes, including automation, artificial intelligence, and the platformisation of work, are reshaping job markets by displacing some roles, creating others, and shifting skill demands, with disproportionate negative impacts on marginalized groups. Climate change further compounds these challenges, affecting labour markets across various sectors and necessitating transitions to low-carbon economies. Demographic trends, including aging populations and high levels of migration, add additional complexities to labour market dynamics, placing strains on social protection systems and exacerbating gender disparities in unpaid care burdens. As Asia navigates these transformative forces, understanding the multifaceted nature of the future of work is crucial for informing policies and strategies that promote sustainability, inclusivity, and resilience across the region.

These disruptions pose significant risks, particularly for low- and lower-middle-income countries, which may be ill-equipped to navigate the emerging challenges. Vulnerable groups within these labour markets such was women, low-skilled workers, informal workers, among others are especially at risk of bearing the brunt of these changes, widening existing disparities.

FutureWORKS Asia is a collaborative initiative aimed at building a research network that explores and addresses the multifaceted and ever-changing dimensions of work in Asia. Led by LIRNEasia, the FutureWORKS Asia research hub brings together researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to address the key challenges shaping the future of work in our region.