adb.org (21.08.2018) Extending social protection to all jobs will facilitate labor market mobility.

hurriyetdailynews. (26.12.2018) The social protection expenditures reached to 382.6 billion Turkish liras ($104.8 billion) in 2017, Turkey’s statistical authority announced on Dec. 26. The social protection expenditures rose by 13.7 percent year-on-year in 2017, according to Turkish Statistical Institute’s (TÜİK) figures. It noted 98.1 percent of all of the social protection expenditures were consisted of social protection benefits - 375.5 billion Turkish liras ($102.9 billion).

Les Echos (07.01.2019) Le gouvernement a un agenda de réformes prévues de longue date bien rempli pour 2019. Mais il devrait être bousculé par le grand débat national qui doit démarrer à la mi-janvier.

Fiji Sun (06.01.2019) Two years ago, the Fiji National Provident Fund and the International Social Security Association (ISSA) signed a memorandum of agreement in Panama to establish an ISSA Pacifi c desk to be hosted by the Fund.

Development Pathways (31.12.2018) Here’s a curious tale about two very different forms of social protection: one is much loved by researchers, the media and donors, but its charms are debatable; the other is too often shunned by academia, commentators and funders despite holding greater promise and staying-power. We could call them ‘cash transfers’ and ‘social security,’ writes Rasmus Schjoedt.

El País (03.01.2019) El mercado laboral ha vuelto a acabar un año con más de 19 millones de ocupados afiliados a la Seguridad Social. Es la primera vez que esto ocurre desde diciembre de 2007. Entonces fueron 19,37 millones y en 2018 han sido 19,02 millones de afiliados, según datos publicados este jueves por el Ministerio de Trabajo. Esto ha sido posible porque en diciembre ha crecido la cifra media de cotizantes en 78.541 trabajadores.

Le Monde (02.01.2019) L’Agirc et Arrco ne font plus qu’un. L’impact sur les salariés ? Ils vont voir leurs points convertis, mais surtout leurs cotisations modifiées.  Jusqu’à l’année dernière, deux régimes de retraite complémentaire coexistaient pour les salariés. L’Arrco, à laquelle tous cotisent, et l’Agirc, qui ne concerne que les cadres. Ces derniers disposent donc, à terme, de deux pensions complémentaires. Cette dualité a disparu le 1er janvier 2019. Pour des raisons d’abord financières, mais aussi de simplification, les partenaires sociaux qui copilotent ces régimes ont en effet décidé de fusionner les deux entités. C’était en 2015, au terme d’un long cycle de négociations.

Valeurs actuelles (20.12.2018)  Selon un magistrat spécialiste de la fraude fiscale, 1,8 million de numéros de Sécurité sociale seraient attribués avec de faux documents. Une arnaque qui coûterait 14 milliards d’euros par an.

Zambia Daily Mail (31.12.2018) Accidents and contraction of diseases at the place of work have long been a nightmare of many a worker not only in Zambia but all over the world, more so for those in inherently dangerous industries such as extraction and manufacturing.
Apparently, majority of accidents resulting in life-threatening diseases and deaths have been and are significantly preventable, according to experts in occupational health.

Europa (19.12.2018) Two new reports discuss how young people's entry into employment can be supported through skills development, either through continued education or traineeships. The reports are based on real-life experiences over the first five years of the Youth Guarantee

Alternatives Economiques (29.12.2918) En France, depuis le début des années quatre-vingt-dix, plusieurs économistes, responsables politiques et autres commentateurs ont accusé le niveau du coût du travail de contribuer au maintien d’un chômage de masse et, depuis le début des années deux mille, à la détérioration du solde extérieur de l’économie française. Des exonérations de cotisations sociales sur les bas salaires ont ainsi été introduites en 1993 par le gouvernement Balladur. Les gouvernements suivants ont maintenu ces dispositifs, souvent en les modifiant, parfois en les étendant.

OIT/Americas (18.12.2018) La tasa de desempleo en América Latina y el Caribe experimentó una leve baja y será de alrededor de 7,8% al final de 2018, lo cual revierte la tendencia alcista de los últimos tres años, aunque la mejoría “aún es modesta” en un escenario marcado por la incertidumbre y la volatilidad, destacó un informe regional de la OIT difundido hoy.

 VOX, CEPR Policy Portal  (03.12.2018) Worldwide ageing trends are steering global demographics into uncharted territory, transforming populations and societies around the globe. Japan is leading the way in this growth wave as the world’s oldest population and is now grappling with the substantial socioeconomic burdens an ageing population places on society. This column discusses the coming challenges associated with population ageing alongside plausible solutions. While there is no magic bullet for these challenges, there is scope to devise a multi-pronged solutions portfolio of complementary initiatives that includes a number of measures to promote and protect elderly health.  

Reuters  (13.12.2018) Is it time to raise the Social Security retirement age? The idea crops up often as a partial fix for the long-term financial challenges facing the program.  A higher retirement age would reduce the number of years on average that people receive benefits, as a way to cut program costs. But according to an economist at the Urban Institute who specializes in employment and retirement decisions made by older Americans, raising the retirement age would inflict serious harm on roughly one-quarter of Social Security beneficiaries.

lecomparateurassurance (12.12.2018) D’une manière générale, l’Assurance maladie prend en charge une partie ou la totalité des médicaments achetés sous prescription. En Suisse, les conditions à respecter sont plus précises pour que l’achat soit remboursé. Toujours est-il que les assureurs du pays assistent actuellement à une explosion de leurs charges concernant ce type de couverture. Un rapport a été dressé par le leader du secteur, Helsana, afin de mieux comprendre ce qui se passe.

Telegraph.co.uk (03.12.2018) Foreigners who have moved to Austria but have not yet picked up the language are set to be hit by a controversial reform to the country’s social welfare system, as the Right-wing government steps up its efforts to deter immigration.

OECD (04.12.2018) Governments need to do more to help workers and firms adapt to the fast-changing world of work and drive inclusive growth, according to the new OECD Jobs Strategy.New evidence in the report reveals that countries that promote job quantity, quality and inclusiveness – such as Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – perform better than those which focus predominantly on market flexibility. While flexibility and adaptability are essential to stimulate the creation of high-quality jobs in an ever more dynamic environment, the gains and costs need to be fairly shared between businesses and workers, according to the OECD.

El Pais (18.12.2018) Uno de cada cuatro pensionistas del país euroasiático tiene un empleo formal. La reforma de las pensiones está restando popularidad a Putin Rusia tiene una de las edades de jubilación más bajas del mundo desarrollado: 60 años para los hombres y 55 para las mujeres. Algo que, unido a las delgadas pensiones públicas—de media unos 13.323 rublos mensuales (unos 175 euros), según datos oficiales—, han creado un ecosistema de jubilados trabajadores. Como Antonova, 9,25 millones de rusos de los casi 40 que reciben una prestación por jubilación tiene un empleo formal, según datos de la Administración. Es decir, uno de cada cuatro. Aunque la cifra puede ser incluso mayor, como reconocen en el Fondo de Pensiones de Rusia, ya que no todos los empleos necesitan registrarse.

peoplemanagement.co.uk (17.12.2018) The legislation, introduced today, means staff must be informed of their rights from their first day of work, including eligibility for paid and sick leave. Workers must also be given the right to request predictable hours

WSJ (18.12.2018) The Mexican government, labor and business sectors agreed Monday to raise the minimum wage by 16.2% in 2019, a third consecutive year of double-digit increases aimed at restoring the purchasing power of the country’s lowest earners. The minimum wage will rise to 102.68 pesos ($5.10) a day from 88.36 pesos on Jan. 1, while along the northern border with the U.S. the minimum daily wage will double to 176.72 pesos ($8.80), said Labor Minister Luisa María Alcalde.

The Malta Independent (14.12.2018) Former Prime Minister and Maltese MEP Alfred Sant said the May European Elections must ensure the best levels of social protection in terms of quality of life and wellbeing across Europe. The  implementation of social policies across Europe should remain in large part a matter for national authorities to determine the when and the how, in response to changing economic and social requirements within their communities.

brookings.edu (12.12.2018) An extensive literature examines the link between social protection-related public spending and objective outcomes of well-being such as income, employment, education, and health (see Department for International Development [DFID], 2011; ILO, 2010; World Bank, 2012). Much less attention has been given to how government social protection policies influence individuals’ own sense of well-being, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (often referred to as developing countries). Yet, the effectiveness and the sustainability of such policies and programs often depend on how people perceive them (Arampatzi, Burger, Ianchovichina, Röhricht, & Veenhoven, 2015; Livani, 2017; Oishi, Schimmack, & Diener, 2012; Veenhoven, 2002; Verme et al., 2014). 

There is an established body of evidence linking systems of social protection to health systems and health outcomes. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide further emphasis on this linkage as necessary to achieving health and non-health goals. Existing literature on social protection and health has focused primarily on cash transfers. We sought to identify potential research priorities concerning social protection and health in low and middle-income countries, from multiple perspectives.

yabiladi (13.12.2018) La Chambre des représentants a approuvé, mardi à l'unanimité lors de la séance plénière, deux projets de loi relatifs au régime de sécurité sociale. Le premier texte concerne le projet de loi 84-17 modifiant et complétant le dahir portant loi 1-72-184 du 15 Joumada II 1392 (27 juillet 1972) relatif au régime de sécurité sociale.
 

IMF Finance & Development Magazine | December 2018 - China strives to adapt social protection to the needs of a market economy