Held on 9–10 October 2026 in Hong Kong, China, this year’s conference marks the 20th edition of the global event.
The conference is co-organized by the World Bank, UNU-WIDER, and the International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with the Development Policy Research Unit (DPRU) at the University of Cape Town, the Institute for Structural Research (IBS) in Poland, and hosted by the Institute for Emerging Market Studies (IEMS) at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).
About the conference
The #Jobs&Dev Conference is a global platform for exchanging evidence-based insights on how to create more and better jobs.
Each year, the event combines keynote lectures, policy panels, and presentations of high-quality research, fostering dialogue between academics and policymakers on employment challenges in developing countries.
The 2026 edition takes place in person at HKUST, featuring keynote speeches, a policy panel, and around 50 papers presented across parallel and special sessions.
Participation and registration
Due to space and budget constraints, participation in the 2026 conference is by invitation only.
All attendees are either presenting a research paper accepted through the call for papers, or contributing directly to a special session.
Selected sessions—including the keynotes and plenary discussions—will be streamed live for a wider virtual audience (details to follow).
For full event information and updates, please visit the Jobs and Development website.
