An economic shock is coming. Boosting women's economic opportunity may be the key to overcoming it.

Report

August 24, 2026 • 1:00 pm ET

Jérémie Bertrand, Nina Dannaoui-Johnson, Annie (Yu-Lin) Lee, and Caroline Perrin

Bottom lines up front

1.2 billion young people will enter the global labor force in the next ten years.If they can’t find productive employment, the risk of social instability rises significantly—as the latest outbreak of Gen Z protests in India illustrates.Policymakers looking to reduce the economic and social risks of this “youth bulge” should prioritize connecting the female half of the cohort with education and jobs.