“Instead of assuming that every sector of our economy needs to grow and create jobs, we need to have a democratic discussion about what we want our economy to deliver – and what kind of jobs and work are needed to get there.”
Today, work falls short of creating thriving communities and ecosystems. Think of extractive industries such as tourism, fossil fuels, and fast fashion; their continuous growth is not only unnecessary but creates social and environmental injustices which disproportionately impacts communities in the Global South.
A different approach to work is possible. Post-growth is about growing industries that are necessary for human wellbeing and the environmental transition, such as sustainable construction, agroecology, and renewable energy, and offering fair wages and better working conditions in these sectors.
Successful examples of postgrowth practices and policies already exist. For instance, regional public job guarantee programmes in France, the reduction of working hours in Spain, and workplace democracy in Dutch nursing organization, or worker-led transition in industries in Italy. Drawing on national and municipal examples across Europe, we provide an overview of possible routes for post-growth work.
This primer is part of a ‘Beyond Growth’ series published by Commons Network and Oxfam Novib. It follows from a roundtable co-hosted by the Postgrowth Pan-European Network in the Spanish Congress in November 2024. This event brought together Members of Parliament from Spain, France, Croatia, Slovenia and Belgium, as well as experts on postgrowth, for a discussion on post-growth approaches to work.