How many of us feel that our work contributes to ecological sustainability and social justice? As the planet heats up and inequalities deepen, our workforces remain employed to produce what is profitable, rather than what is needed. This mismatch results in a failure to allocate the requisite labour towards confronting the challenges of the 21st century. Worse, our societies continue to face chronic involuntary unemployment, while there is so much essential work that needs to be done. We describe an overlooked solution to both problems: a job guarantee designed to contribute to the reorganisation of our economies to meet human needs within planetary boundaries.