PEC 2026: Session 4: What Kind of an Economy Creates Jobs? | Demand-Side Interventions & Employment

What drives sustainable job creation, and which demand-side interventions have the greatest impact on employment? Leading policymakers and researchers examine the economic conditions that support employment growth, covering lessons from public works programmes, international examples, and the role of labour market regulation. Speakers: Dr Josh Budlender – Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UCT; Sibusiso Gumbi – National Treasury; Nyiko Mabunda – Head of Labour Market Policy and PMO, Dept of Employment and Labour; Michael Sachs – Economic Advisor to the President. Presented at the 2026 Public Economics Conference.