World Trade Report 2017 Trade, technology and jobs

This year the WTO’s flagship report takes an in-depth look at trade, technology and jobs.

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How do technology and trade affect employment and wages?

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Are all benefitting or are some being left behind by globalization and advances in technology?

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What can governments do to help workers adjust to changes in labour markets and to increase the positive impact of open trade and technological progress?

The 2017 World Trade Report examines how technology and trade affect employment and wages. It analyses the challenges for workers and firms in adjusting to changes in labour markets, and how governments can facilitate such adjustment to increase the positive impact of open trade and technological progress.

The Report finds that labour markets have evolved in many different ways across countries, suggesting that country-specific factors play a pivotal role. It also finds that although technological advances and trade have yielded important benefits for economies overall, certain types of workers and/or regions may sometimes be adversely affected.

It also finds that, although interrelated, technology more than trade appears to be responsible for the decreasing share of manufacturing jobs and for the declining number of middle-skill jobs relative to low- and high-skill jobs. The Report concludes that helping workers adjust to changes in the labour market and ensuring that benefits are spread more widely can increase the positive impact of open trade and technological progress.

To purchase a printed copy of the Report, visit the WTO Bookshop in Geneva, Switzerland or buy online via http://onlinebookshop.wto.org.

The Report is also available via our worldwide distributor Turpin Distribution Services at wto@turpin-distribution.com.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business. Visit www.wto.org to learn more.