Book excerpt: Economic recovery from the worldwide financial crisis remains weak and uneven, resulting in persistently high unemployment in some countries and growing job precariousness almost everywhere. This report shows that a sustainable, job-rich recovery is possible--provided that the factors that led to the crisis are tackled. The report provides answers to these key questions: - When will employment recover strongly enough to mitigate the effects of the crisis? - Is there a significant risk that the poor employment prospects will lead to social unrest and erode confidence in policymakers' ability to provide fair solutions to the crisis? - Do governments have adequate maneuvering room to support employment recovery while reducing budget deficits? - How can well-designed employment and wage policies support more balanced growth in countries with large trade surpluses, paving the way for a sustainable global recovery? - In what ways can the financial sector be reformed to serve the needs of the real economy?