High-Level Leaders to Gather at World Employment Confederation Annual Conference to Address Critical Labor Market Issues
BRUSSELS, May 11, 2026 — The annual World Employment Confederation (WEC) Conference, themed “Grow With Talent,” will take place on May 12 and 13 in Toronto. The event, co-organized with ACSESS, comes during a time of deep economic uncertainty. Leaders and experts will come together to discuss the future direction of the global labor market and lay the groundwork for the 114th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in June.
Bettina Schaller, President of WEC, stated: “The central question at this year’s WEC Conference is how we can mobilize global talent to drive growth in an era of upheaval. With the rapid adoption of AI, demographic shifts, and uncertain global economic outlooks, pressure on labor markets is increasing. It’s no longer just about talent shortages but about how efficiently talents are developed, deployed, and allocated where they are most needed.”
As a champion of private employment services, WEC brings together policymakers and business leaders with direct knowledge of labor market challenges, including global economic outlooks, policy frameworks, practical business management realities, and job matching.
The WEC’s annual conference, now in its 59th edition, has become a pivotal forum for understanding labor market evolutions and what it will take to make them more effective.
This year’s conference features an impressive lineup of speakers, including:
- Jonas Prising, CEO of ManpowerGroup, on how employers are responding to talent shortages and shifting labor demand.
- Mark Pearson, Interim Director for Employment, Labor, and Social Affairs at the OECD, on labor market perspectives and the increasing balance between skills supply and demand.
- Mary Seery Kearney, author and expert in employment, AI, data privacy protection, corporate governance law, and DPO, as well as legal advisor to the ERF, on the impact of AI on HR services, labor law, and workplace regulations.
- Mario Nava, Director-General for Employment at the European Commission, on how policies can promote growth while safeguarding worker protections.
- Opening remarks by Andrea Khanjin, Provincial Deputy Minister of Red Tape Reduction, and David Piccini, Provincial Deputy Minister of Labor, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development.
The program also brings together the expertise of organizations such as the International Labour Organization and the International Organization for Migration, alongside WEC’s global and regional member companies and national federations from over 50 countries.
Continuing, Bettina Schaller said: “We’re talking about enabling talent to work better, faster, and more equitably across borders, sectors, and systems. The goal is not just to understand what’s happening, but to leave with a clearer vision of what needs to change and how we can contribute. Our mission is to set high standards and uphold strict codes of conduct on a global scale while protecting the pathways to employment for millions of people.”
Each year, WEC members help place over 61 million people into jobs worldwide, at the intersection of economic demand, workforce transformation, and social mobility.
For more information on the World Employment Conference visit: https://wec2026.acsess.org/welcome
Follow the event to stay informed: https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-employment-confederation/
For more information on WEC, including its recent report on sector impact, visit: https://wecglobal.org/publication-post/private-employment-agencies-placed-61-million-people-in-jobs-in-2024-despite-revenue-decline/
About World Employment Confederation
Founded in 1967, the World Employment Confederation (WEC), formerly CIETT, advocates for the interests of the private employment services sector, lobbying for policy regulation and implementation while ensuring access to employment for over 60 million people worldwide each year.
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