New insights on the future of work in Latin America and the Caribbean

 
Global trends are transforming the labour market in Latin America and the Caribbean, presenting new opportunities for resilience and growth. A study funded by IDRC sheds light on the power of adaptable jobs, addresses gender-specific challenges and explores the profound effects of automation and climate change.
Teacher in classroom, surrounded by students at desks.
IDRC/James Rodriguez, Panos Pictures

Sur Futuro, the Latin American hub of IDRC’s new FutureWORKS initiative, has released an insightful new study, entitled Atlas of Future-Oriented Jobs, which examines the impact of global trends on the labour market in the region.  

Brought to life through innovative data, an interactive map and a dynamic dashboard, the study explores how new technologies, climate shocks, sustainable production practices and aging populations are reshaping job opportunities and risks across the region. 

Traditional measures of job quality — such as rates of informality, wage levels and skill requirements — are becoming insufficient under these evolving conditions. The study introduces a new dimension for evaluating the 21st-century labour market: job resilience. Resilient jobs are those that grow in relevance and offer new opportunities in constantly changing environments, aligning with large-scale social, economic, environmental and technological transformations. 

The study provides a forward-looking perspective on the challenges facing Latin America’s labour market. It identifies resilient jobs — such as those in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and those in the green economy or care sector — while also highlighting occupations threatened by automation and climate change. It offers an overview of how opportunities and challenges are distributed among countries in the region compared to high-income countries, as well as between men and women. 

Key findings 

  • Future-oriented jobs: 16% of people in Latin America and the Caribbean hold a future-oriented job, with most of these roles in care occupations. 
  • Threatened jobs: 6 out of 10 people in the region are in jobs threatened by automation trends or climate change. 
  • Gender-specific challenges: the future of work presents gender-specific challenges. For men, the primary issue is quantity, while for women, it is diversification and quality. 
  • Trade-offs: there are trade-offs between green jobs, STEM jobs and jobs threatened by automation trends. 
  • Skill specialization: not all future-oriented jobs are created equal; workers in the region tend to specialize in lower-skilled occupational segments, particularly women.

Explore the full report and interactive map on the Sur Futuro website. Look out for similar reports from Africa and Asia coming soon. 

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