mercatornet (18.08.2018) A few weeks ago we blogged about the Russian government’s proposed changes to their national pension scheme. The upshot was that the age of entitlement was going to be raised and many people weren’t happy about having to wait longer until they can take their government money. The government’s defence was that people are living longer now than they were when the current pension ages (55 for women and 60 for men) were introduced over thirty years ago.

blogs.worldbank.org (13.07.2018) Technology and what it will do to change how we work is the driving obsession of the moment. The truth is that nobody knows for sure what will happen – the only certainty is uncertainty. How then should we plan for the jobs that don’t yet exist?

ILO (14.08.2018) Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has an ambitious goal: to achieve universal health coverage. However, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) realized that its membership had plateaued at about 40 per cent of the population a few years ago and has remained unchanged to date. In addition, the NHIS, like many national health schemes, faces financial challenges, with a limited ability to raise additional funding through taxation or other revenue sources. All money flowing through the NHIA for claims or operations must therefore be wisely spent.

Euro WHO (August 2018) This analysis of the Estonian health system reviews recent developments in organization and governance, health financing, health-care provision, health reforms and health system performance. In 2017, the Estonian government took the historic step of expanding the revenue base of the health system, which has been a longstanding challenge. However, in terms of percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) it remains a small increase and long-term financial sustainability could still pose a problem.

Lusaka Times (15.08.2018) Government has revealed that strides in bridging the gap between the rich and the poor in society through the successful implementation of Social protection programmes have so far yielded positive results.

Nouvel Obs (03.08.2018) Le dossier s'annonce déjà explosif pour le gouvernement. Un rapport confidentiel, que "le Monde" s'est procuré, montre que le regroupement des "prestations de solidarité" dans une allocation sociale unique (ASU) pourrait faire plus de "perdants" que de "gagnants". Un constat qui ne devrait pas rassurer les milliers de ménages situés en bas de l'échelle des revenus. Inquiètes, les associations luttant contre l'exclusion avaient déjà condamné, début juillet, le report de la présentation du plan pauvreté à la rentrée prochaine.

Information de Lome (15.08.2018)  Au cours d’une cérémonie qui a eu lieu à Lomé, l’Institut nationale d’assurance maladie (INAM) a accepté de prendre désormais en compte 2 208 volontaires répartis sur  l’ensemble du territoire national de même que  leurs ayants-droits. Une convention portant sur le programme de couverture sociale a été scellée entre le directeur général de l’ANVT (Agence nationale du volontariat au Togo), Omar Agbangba et la directrice de l’INAM, Myriam Dossou. La cérémonie a été présidée par la ministre du développement à la base, Victoire Tomégah-Dogbé.

Europa (14.08.2018) The European Platform for Investing in Children (EPIC) has published its annual thematic report. The report outlines changes and new developments during the past year in the area of child and family policies across the EU Member States.

CNBC (14.08.2018) According to new research from Charles Schwab, which surveyed 2,000 young Americans aged 16 to 25, a resounding 76 percent think they'll have a better financial future than their parents. And they expect to retire, on average, at age 60. That's "seven years earlier than full Social Security benefit eligibility for their age bracket," the report notes.

euro.who (August 018) Hospitals with greater autonomy are perceived to be more flexible in meeting the needs of the local population. However, there is a tension between the potential to improve responsiveness and flexibility via greater decentralization and the potential efficiency gains and geographical equity derived from centralization. This policy brief explores the experience with decentralized hospital governance in 10 European countries (Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Scotland, Spain and Sweden) and finds that there are interesting examples of authorities in systems with decentralized hospital governance collaborating to overcome equity and efficiency concerns, but that the specific institutional and political contexts make it difficult to transfer successful models from one country to another.

Le Temps (13.08.2018) Les contrôles des factures médicales effectués par les assureurs permettent de réaliser une économie substantielle de près de 3 milliards de francs sur les coûts de la santé pour la seule assurance de base. C’est ce que constate une étude menée pour Santésuisse, l’association faîtière des assureurs, dont Le Temps a pu prendre connaissance.

20 minutos (10.08.2018) En las últimas décadas, los mercados laborales han experimentado cambios relevantes, los cuales han impactado en la estructura de la protección social de la región de América Latina y el Caribe, por ello es importante consolidar un sistema en la materia que fortalezca al sector, consideró GINgroup.

IFEX (08.08.2018) G20 countries have both the opportunity and the responsibility to lead efforts to reinstate trust in the digital age. G20 members can inspire hope and embrace the goal that no country, no community, and no individual will be left behind and that their rights will be respected. G20 countries can set a digital agenda that places people at the centre.

info.gov.hk (06.08.2018) The Labour Department (LD) will expand the scope of the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP) in September to cover part-time on-the-job training and raise the ceiling of the monthly on-the-job training allowance. The YETP provides a comprehensive job search platform with one-stop and diversified pre-employment and on-the-job training for young school leavers aged 15 to 24 with educational attainment at sub-degree level or below. 

EurActiv (10.08.2018) Greece’s unemployment rate, the highest in the European Union, has dropped below 20% for the first time in seven years, statistics bureau Elstat reported on 9 August.

Measuring Financial Literacy

Assessing the levels of financial literacy in the population is a key component of a successful national strategy for financial education, enabling policy makers to identify gaps and design appropriate responses. International comparisons increase the value of such an assessment by enabling countries to benchmark themselves with other countries. Where similar patterns are identified across countries, national authorities can work together to find common methods for improving financial literacy within their respective populations.

marketwatch.com (04.08.2018) The company, called Trupo, is launching a new short-term disability insurance product. A broken leg can spell financial disaster for a freelancer.

Deloitte US (August 2018) Man versus machine—it’s one of the oldest storylines in Hollywood. Because if robots can replace us, what’s left for us to do? As it turns out, plenty. Learn more about the talent dimensions of IT investments in our 2018 mid-market technology survey.

ILO (01.08.2018) For people with disabilities in Bangladesh, finding a job can be a huge challenge. Yet attitudes are changing, as the private sector increasingly sees the benefits of hiring disabled workers.

Adweek (09.08.2018) T he machines are taking over? The chat bots are coming for our jobs? Not according to the results of a recent survey conducted by market research firm OnResearch for Deloitte. However, human skills must be sharpened and updated consistently in order to remain part of the workforce.

OpenGovAsia (06.08.2018) The National Health Protection Mission targets approximately 107.4 million deprived families. It has identified the occupational category of urban workers’ families as per the latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data, for both rural and urban India.

MarketWatch (01.08.2018) The Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection informs the population about the emergence and promotion on the Moldovan market of non-electrically heated tobacco products iQOS (Electrically Heated Tobacco Product - EHTR), manufactured by Philip Morris Manufacturing & Technology, , which are harmful and present a danger to human health and life.

The Edge Markets (08.08.2018) The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has revealed that out of Malaysia's 22 million working-age population, 62% are self-employed, outside the formal labour force, and not covered by any form of social protection such as the EPF or government pension scheme.

Canadian Occupational Safety (06.08.2018) Outdoor workers must be better protected from extreme heat with nationwide regulations to fill a dangerous lack of safety measures, environmental and labour groups in the United States said. Mandatory rest breaks and access to shade should be required and enforced under a national effort, according to a call by more than 130 groups, former heads of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and universities.

 Euronews (01.08.2018) A new industrial revolution is predicted. The digitalisation of the economy is expected to disrupt production processes, the world of work and society at large. But we still don’t have a clear idea of what this so-called digitalisation entails and its likely social impacts.