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Activating the aging agenda: A fresh look at an overlooked mega trend pmassetti worldbank.org (17.06.2025) Almost every country in the world today is facing a predictable, but addressable, trend that will profoundly impact societies and economies: Aging. Despite numerous calls  to action, the aging agenda remains under the radar, especially when compared to other “mega trends” like climate change and digital transformation.  Old-age pensions
Needs assessment and eligibility criteria in long-term care pmassetti OECD (16.06.2025) As populations age, the demand for long-term care (LTC), encompassing a range of personal care and assistance services, is steadily increasing across OECD countries. Care needs assessments and eligibility criteria determine who is entitled to access publicly funded LTC services, and thereby have a direct impact on public expenditures. This paper compares needs assessment approaches across OECD countries including the criteria, tools and responsible actors, as well as the broader eligibility rules such as age and place of residence and explores the means-testing rules that determine the degree of cost-sharing applicable to LTC users. To demonstrate the impact of needs assessments and eligibility criteria on the public coverage of people in need of LTC support, the paper examines reforms (of eligibility criteria and their consequences on accessibility in five countries (Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain). Long-term care
Social Protection and Multidimensional Poverty: How can multidimensional measures become a social protection system tool? pmassetti mppn (25.03.2025) Countries around the globe have started establishing social protection systems, aiming to implement policies and programmes to reduce poverty. At the same time, the number of countries designing and computing multidimensional poverty measures has increased in recent years, with more than 40 countries in the five world regions having official multidimensional poverty measures and others working on designing their own national Multidimensional Poverty Indices (MPI). Inequalities
Health Insurance in UAE: What you need to know about it pmassetti gulfbusiness.com (13.06.2025) The UAE has officially implemented its Basic Health Insurance Plan for private sector employees and domestic workers across the Northern Emirates, marking a pivotal shift in the nation’s approach to healthcare access and affordability. Effective since January 1, 2025, the initiative is part of a broader nationwide strategy to ensure that all residents, regardless of income or employment type, have access to essential healthcare services. With an annual premium of just Dhs320, the plan is already reshaping how health services are accessed and delivered, especially for low-income workers previously excluded from mandatory coverage. Health arabic countries
Trump's latest labor pick is good news for the gig economy rruggia qz.com (15.01.2026) President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Keith Sonderling as his deputy labor secretary, handing employers in the so-called gig economy an ally. Sonderling previously served as Trump’s acting administrator of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) wage and hour division, as well as a Republican commissioner on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The deputy labor secretary job requires Senate confirmation and occasionally ends up leading the agency. digital platforms Platform workers United States
Driving toward security: How Singapore’s Platform Workers Act empowers platform workers to plan their financial future pmassetti ntuc.org.sg (06.06.2025) A young Grab driver preparing for marriage experiences how Singapore’s groundbreaking Platform Workers Act is transforming financial security for thousands of platform workers through CPF contributions, work injury protection, and formal representation. digital platforms Platform workers singapore
Fair work is possible – Work and digitalisation pmassetti IPS Journal - Insecure or precarious work is not inevitable. It was created intentionally, by dismantling or circumventing employment law regulations
Jobs in MENA: How transforming pension systems can boost inclusion, equity, and prosperity pmassetti worldbank.org (29.05.2025) Pension systems globally have faced challenges in fulfilling their commitment to providing adequate financial security for individuals in their old age. In developing countries, pension coverage is often low, and benefits frequently fall below the poverty line. The design of the pensions systems, among other factors, tend to exacerbate informality, with only a fraction of formal workers receiving pensions. The low coverage and the little redistribution leads low wage workers to end up subsidizing high wage workers. The way contributions finance pensions contribute to the informality dilemma by creating a disparity between employer payments and worker benefits, perpetuating a cycle of low pensions, high informality, and discouragement of formal employment. For instance, in some MENA countries, if the worker does not accumulate enough years, he/she will forfeit the contributions from the employer. Governments, facing fiscal and debt sustainability pressures, struggle to enhance coverage and benefits. Bridging this gap between pension promises and realities is an urgent challenge requiring immediate attention. Pensions arabic countries
Three challenges of social protection in sub‐Saharan Africa: informality, climate change and pandemics pmassetti International Journal of Social Welfare (05.01.2025) This article provides an overview of social protection challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. It explores three main challenges: the integration of informal workers, the management of climate change and pandemics. Despite the proliferation of social protection programmes in sub-Saharan Africa, effective coverage remains low. About 76.3% of the population is not covered by any formal social protection mechanisms. Following the principle of qualitative comparative analysis, this article offers a twofold contribution. Firstly, it provides an overview of the diversity of social protection mechanisms in sub-Saharan Africa. This article proposes to describe the three categories of social protection using the concept of social protection mix: formal, semi-formal and informal. Secondly, using this concept, this study explores three major challenges of the social protection mix in sub-Saharan Africa. Finally, this article suggests ways to strengthen social protection systems that address new challenges and incorporate the diversity of social protection mechanisms. Extension of coverage, Shocks & extreme events Africa
Work injury compensation for Platform Workers: Complete guide to Singapore’s new protection system pmassetti ntuc.org.sg (30.05.2025) Platform workers in Singapore now receive mandatory work injury compensation coverage under the Platform Workers Act 2024 – here’s all you need to know about the new protections. digital platforms Platform workers
Facilitating transition between social assistance and social insurance pmassetti ILO (25.02.2025) - Conceptual framework and review of global good practices for countries in the Arab Region - Ensuring bridges between different social protection programmes and financing mechanisms - including smooth transition paths (forward and backward) between social assistance and social insurance schemes - has increasingly become an important issue in many developing countries. This has the potential to create better impetus for accessing formal employment, expand social protection coverage, stabilize income, reduce vulnerabilities. This report aims to provide a review of international experiences on ensuring better transitions between social assistance and employment-related social insurance. The report proposes a conceptual framework and policy recommendations based on a review of international experiences in ensuring better transition between tax-financed social assistance and employment-related social insurance. Extension of coverage arabic countries
Au Danemark, l’âge de la retraite passera à 70 ans en 2040 pmassetti lemonde.fr (22.05.2025) Le Parlement danois a adopté, jeudi, une loi relevant l’âge légal de départ à la retraite, aujourd’hui à 67 ans. Depuis la réforme de 2006, celui-ci est indexé sur l’espérance de vie et révisé tous les cinq ans. Pensions
Ghana : SSNIT bets on mobile money to drive accessibility pmassetti The Social Security and National Insurance Trust is betting on the widely used mobile money to improve pension accessibility and convenience, as it deepens its digital transformation strategy to reach a broader base of contributors. With mobile money transaction volumes and values surging to record highs in 2024, SSNIT is integrating mobile money platforms into its service delivery model. The aim is to make pension-related services more accessible to informal sector workers and the broader population who already use mobile wallets daily for payments and remittances. “Almost everyone in Ghana today uses mobile money,” said Kwesi Afreh Biney, Director-General of SSNIT, during the Trust’s 52nd branch launch on the Spintex road in Accra. epayment E-services, Service delivery ghana
US: Morningstar study on long-term care costs gets pushback from think tank pmassetti investmentnews.com (21.05.2025) A new Morningstar report warns that long-term care expenses could dramatically undermine the financial readiness of American retirees.But the study expert, who argues the analysis exaggerates households' actual exposure to those costs. "The Overlooked Cost: How Long-Term Services and Supports Impacts Retirement-Income Adequacy" Morningstar researchers Spencer Look and Jack VanDerhei used a proprietary model to simulate the retirement outcomes of American households under two conditions: one that includes long-term services and supports, or LTSS, and another that assumes those costs are fully covered by outside sources. The findings from the Morningstar Center for Retirement & Policy Studies published last week suggest that the inclusion of LTSS costs increases the share of households projected to deplete their retirement resources from 26 percent to 41 percent. Long-term care United States
Exploring the harsh realities of app-based workers in sub-Saharan Africa pmassetti A groundbreaking report has revealed the harsh realities faced by app-based transport and delivery workers across sub-Saharan Africa, accusing digital platforms of systematically undermining decent work standards.  Titled “Decent Work in the Platform Sector: A Grassroots Report from Sub-Saharan Africa”, the study draws on testimonies from workers from Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, and South Africa and exposes precarious working conditions, unfair pay, and a lack of labour protections.   The report, which
In Rapidly Aging South Korea, the Economy Is Slow in Creating “Age-Friendly” Jobs pmassetti stanford.edu (19.05.2025) Despite the nation’s rapidly aging demographics, South Korea's economy has not adapted as well as the United States, a new study finds. The researchers, including Stanford health economist and director of the Asia Health Policy Program at APARC Karen Eggleston, show that age-friendly jobs attract a broad range of workers and that structural barriers in the labor market influence which groups can access these roles. Old-age pensions korea, Republic of
Telangana Plans Gig Workers Act: Bill Proposes Welfare Fund, Job Security, and Penalties pmassetti deccanherald.com (15.04.2025) The legislation will establish a dedicated board and welfare fund for gig workers. All aggregators and platforms must register with the board within 45 days of the Act’s commencement. The board will maintain and publish a register of all aggregators operating in the state on its web portal. Labour protection mechanisms india
Germany struggles to fix its pension system pmassetti DW (05/12/2025) Germany's aging population is putting the country's pension system under strain. The new Labor Minister Bärbel Bas has ruffled feathers with a proposal for how to fix it. Pensions germany
Setting the foundation for quality management in home- and community-based long-term care pmassetti who.int (08.05.2025) This technical brief addresses the growing gap between the rapid expansion of home- and community-based long-term care (‎LTC)‎ services and the slower development of regulatory frameworks for quality management in these settings. While such services are essential for supporting older people to age in place and remain engaged in their communities, it is increasingly urgent to ensure that care is safe, appropriate and person-centred. Drawing on international evidence and national and regional case studies across Europe, the brief outlines key quality standards and proposes indicators for monitoring progress. It also reviews quality assurance mechanisms for evaluating compliance and promoting high standards of care, as well as strategies for incentivizing care providers to engage in continuous quality improvement. Long-term care
China’s experience in pursuing universal health coverage pmassetti International Labour Organization (30.05.2025) China’s experience in pursuing universal health coverage: In recent years, China has made significant strides in extending health coverage. This technical report systematically summarizes China’s experience developing and strengthening its health system towards universal health protection. The report provides a clear picture of the recent evolution of the health system in China in the last decades and highlights remaining challenges. This technical report provides valuable insights for other countries to explore the possibility of universal health coverage and contribute to the advancement of global health protection. universal health coverage Health china
Publication: Working Toward Better Health: Expanding Community Health Services in Mozambique pmassetti worldbank.org (05.05.2025) In low-income countries, formal health systems are stretched thin, and rural and underserved areas often lack adequate primary healthcare coverage, delaying essential interventions and leaving populations vulnerable to preventable diseases. Mozambique was no exception. The country had particularly poor health outcomes among its peers, with high rates of stunting (40%) and malnutrition, as well as one of the highest rates of child marriage and adolescent fertility in the world. Its share of deaths from communicable diseases and maternal, perinatal, and nutritional conditions was 62% – three times the global average. Only half of births were attended by a skilled professional, and the neonatal mortality rate was 27.9 per 1,000 live births. But the problem went beyond reach and access: providers had weak competencies, clinical guidelines were often not adhered to, and there were high levels of dropout for child immunization. To improve health outcomes, Mozambique would have to increase both coverage and quality of service. Health mozambique
The Care Dividend pmassetti The Care Dividend Why and How Countries Should Invest in Long-Term Care
Italy moves to restore healthcare access for citizens abroad – but at a price pmassetti Euractiv (18.04.2025) Supporters argue the measure would encourage more Italians abroad to formally register with AIRE, putting an end to widespread avoidance. Health italy
Delivering shock-responsive social protection in the Sahel: Urban social cash transfer response amid rising food inflation – Lessons from Nouakchott, Mauritania pmassetti World Food Programme (11.04.2025) In 2023, people in Nouakchott, Mauritania, experienced a steep increase in the cost of food and an overall upward rise in the cost of living, putting many at risk of acute food insecurity and malnutrition as they struggled to meet their basic needs. WFP responded by working with the Government of Mauritania to pilot the extension of one of the country’s national shock-responsive social safety net programmes - El Maouna - to households in the Mauritanian capital. Shocks & extreme events mauritania
Publication: Participation in Pension Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries pmassetti worldbank.org (24.04.2025) Low- and middle-income countries are aging rapidly but stagnation of growth in participation in pension programs, due to widespread informal employment, presents a major fiscal challenge. Some claim that improving the design of pension program rules can encourage more pension contributions, while others push for universal non-contributory pensions. This paper reviews the recent academic literature on the determinants of active participation in pension systems in high- informality settings. An emerging body of evidence shows that participation responds significantly to financial incentives as well as nonfinancial obstacles. At the same time, pensions are imperfect substitutes for other strategies to cover longevity risk, including support through the family, which will remain crucial for many older people in fiscally constrained environments. Therefore, policy makers should integrate the design of contributory pensions, social pensions, and policies that facilitate other forms of elderly support and consider how all three interact. To inform such efforts, these interactions must be more systematically investigated, and the empirical evidence must be expanded beyond a small number of middle-income countries. Pensions