What works for work: High-impact employment solutions Iffath SharifJamele Rigolini January 27, 2026 This page in: English

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/voices/what-works-for-work-high-impact-employment-solutions?intcid=ecr_hp_headerA_en_ext Governments worldwide invest billions in labor market programs—self-employment and micro-entrepreneurship support, training initiatives, job placement services, wage subsidies—all designed to connect people with better employment opportunities. The results? A mixed bag of remarkable successes and underwhelming impacts. However, the key question is not whether these programs work, but rather: What makes the difference between a program that delivers real impact and one that falls flat?