Labor Policy

List of Labor Policy articles

French President Emmanuel Macron attends a meeting with the leaders of various French unions and employers’ associations after he signed into law a pension reform that raises the retirement age from 62 to 64, at the Élysée Palace in Paris on April 18.
French President Emmanuel Macron attends a meeting with the leaders of various French unions and employers’ associations after he signed into law a pension reform that raises the retirement age from 62 to 64, at the Élysée Palace in Paris on April 18.

How Macron Can Save His Presidency

The French president is bound to provoke outrage if he continues to govern like a king.

A protester holds a placard with the number 64 crossed out with an X.
A protester holds a placard with the number 64 crossed out with an X.

The Ugly Paradox Behind the West’s Demographic Problems

France’s pension reforms, Italy’s elder care robots, and Arkansas’s child labor all have one thing in common: a fear of immigration.

People protest French President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform plan.
People protest French President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform plan.

France’s Labor Pains

Despite more than a month of paralyzing strikes, France’s unions are bleeding members, influence, and prestige.

Hero-podcast-women-gender-foreign-policy-gates-foundation-1500x1000_site
Hero-podcast-women-gender-foreign-policy-gates-foundation-1500x1000_site

Protecting Migrant Domestic Workers

Migrant workers make up nearly 20 percent of all domestic workers. And in Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, the number is much higher.

Employees work on the production line at a Volkswagen plant in Urumqi, China.
Employees work on the production line at a Volkswagen plant in Urumqi, China.

Forced Uyghur Labor Probably Helped Build Your Car

A new report ties auto manufacturing to Xinjiang’s genocide. Will consumers—and Western countries—care?

A tailoring workshop in Lome, Togo in September 2016.
A tailoring workshop in Lome, Togo in September 2016.

To Tackle Poverty in Africa, Provide Job Training for Teenage Girls

Skills training programs must target those under age 18 to reduce adolescent birth rates and unemployment.

A view of the 974 Stadium, built out of shipping containers, which will host matches during the World Cup, in the Ras Abu Aboud district of the Qatari capital Doha on Oct. 20.
A view of the 974 Stadium, built out of shipping containers, which will host matches during the World Cup, in the Ras Abu Aboud district of the Qatari capital Doha on Oct. 20.

Don’t Ignore Qatar’s Progress on Labor

Critics of the World Cup host nation overlook the reforms the government has undertaken.

Visitors take photos of the 2022 FIFA World Cup countdown clock in Doha, Qatar, on Oct. 30.
Visitors take photos of the 2022 FIFA World Cup countdown clock in Doha, Qatar, on Oct. 30.

World Cup Shows Need to Crack Down on Kim’s Labor Exploitation

Shipping workers abroad helps the North Korean leader evade sanctions and finance his nuclear weapons.

People take part in a mass demonstration against the government in Tehran, Iran, in 1979.
People take part in a mass demonstration against the government in Tehran, Iran, in 1979.

Why Won’t the Workers of Iran Unite?

Unlike in 1979, much of the Iranian working class is precariously employed—and they have more to lose than their chains by joining the protests.

Taboubi and other leaders sit at a conference table in front of the Tunisian flag
Taboubi and other leaders sit at a conference table in front of the Tunisian flag

Tunisia’s Powerful Labor Union Is Thwarting President Saied’s Ambitions

The Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT) is the one body with enough power to derail Saied’s plans.

An immigrant holds a “Nobody Is Illegal” placard at a demonstration in Praça do Comércio in Lisbon on July 11, 2021.
An immigrant holds a “Nobody Is Illegal” placard at a demonstration in Praça do Comércio in Lisbon on July 11, 2021.

How Portugal Quietly Became a Migration Hub

The country has a hot labor market and offers a path to EU citizenship for undocumented workers.

A dockworker walks along the port of Berdyansk.
A dockworker walks along the port of Berdyansk.

Dockworkers Worldwide Are Trying to Stop Russia’s War

Manual laborers keep the world moving—and can slow it down.

A man holds a sign with portraits of socialist leaders during a May Day protest in Chile.
A man holds a sign with portraits of socialist leaders during a May Day protest in Chile.

How the Labor Movement Got Its Day

Plus: Why Refugees Can Be A Boon For Host Countries

Auto workers in Mexico
Auto workers in Mexico

Decades Late, NAFTA’s Promise on Workers’ Rights Comes Good

In Mexico, a breakthrough trade case involving General Motors could become a global model.

FP-Interns-Underpaid-Washington-DC-Government-Matt-Chase-16x9
FP-Interns-Underpaid-Washington-DC-Government-Matt-Chase-16x9

Washington Runs on Interns

So why are most of them not paid enough—and some not paid at all?

Demonstrators with CASA in Action and Service Employees International Union 32BJ march against the Trump administration’s immigration policies in Washington on May 1, 2017.
Demonstrators with CASA in Action and Service Employees International Union 32BJ march against the Trump administration’s immigration policies in Washington on May 1, 2017.

Unionization Can End America’s Supply Chain Crisis

Allowing workers to organize would protect and empower undocumented immigrants critical to the U.S. economy.

Then-European Parliament Vice President Isabelle Durant
Then-European Parliament Vice President Isabelle Durant

Why Aren’t There More Women Economists at the United Nations?

Female economists are rising to the top—everywhere but the U.N.

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