2017 - ‘Towards a Fairer Gig Economy’ is a small collection of articles examining the social and economic problems associated with the ‘gig economy’. The gig economy includes a wide range of labour carried out by workers providing services as couriers, taxi drivers, online freelancers and more. Issues examined include an over-supply of labour, falling wages, long hours and poor working conditions. Each article makes suggestions for how these problems can be addressed and how a fairer gig economy can be built: including through regulation, collective bargaining and wider policy recommendations.

The “Development Implications of Digital Economies” (DIODE) strategic network researches the digital economy – that part of economic output derived solely or primarily from digital technologies – and its role in developing countries.

Chinadaily.com.cn (06.08.2017) A pension revolution has been rolled out to help up to 260,000 retired people in Shenzhen. Traditional fingerprint identification has been replaced by "face recognition technology"

The stakeholders' Working Group on mHealth assessment guidelines, which the Commission established in February 2016, recently concluded its works. A report, including a few case studies on mHealth, is now available.

While no consensus was reached amongst the represented constituencies on a set of guidelines, the Group allowed for valuable exchanges captured in a report summarising the process and the positions from the represented stakeholders.

mHealth remains an important topic in Commission policy on eHealth, in particular aspects around the validity and reliability of data from mHealth solutions.

With these words, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan captured the promise of information and communication technologies (ICT) in his opening address to the World Summit on the Information Society in 2003. Building on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), this compelling vision opened the door to new commitment, new investment and, most of all, to creativity and the drive to push the boundaries of technology far beyond anything ever dreamed. Today, it is thanks to those pioneers determined to experiment with new technologies in new settings -- often challenging and risky -- that many can take for granted the benefits that ICT brings to health. For too many others, that promise is still unfulfilled.

A fundamental change in the years since the MDGs were agreed upon is the appreciation of the role that ICT can play in meeting health targets. It was not so long ago that health decision makers were questioning the utility of adopting ICT in health services and systems -- that is, "e-Health" -- particularly in developing countries. At that time, e-health projects were few in number, disconnected, small, and costly. They were driven not by countries, but by funders. Their planning and implementation usually relied on technical assistance provided by aid agencies and the international private sector, as there was little local expertise to draw on. The aim of these initiatives was most often technology proof-of-concept or exploration of new markets, rather than strengthening local health care processes. Not surprisingly, decision-makers remained unconvinced of the value of ICT for health as projects distracted staff from regular duties, applications and infrastructure were unsuitable and unreliable, and in the end there was no definitive way to measure the impact on health outcomes.

Nación (19.10.2017) El alto costo que representa para los empleadores el pago de las cargas sociales de sus trabajadores es uno de los factores que explican la alta informalidad en el empleo de Costa Rica, de acuerdo con la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos (OCDE). Por ese motivo, el ente internacional propone que se reduzcan los impuestos sobre el trabajo y que los costos de los programas que financian se trasladen a otro tipo de gravámenes, como el impuesto sobre el valor agregado (IVA) y el impuesto sobre la renta.

Le Monde (19.10.2017) Les dépenses sociales des départements ont progressé de 24,5 % entre 2010 et 2016. Elles sont la première cause de la dégradation de leur situation financière, selon un rapport de la Cour des comptes  ntre 2010 et 2016, les dépenses sociales des départements (RSA, aide sociale à l’enfance, personnes âgées et personnes handicapées) ont crû de 24,5 %. Elles atteignent désormais 32 milliards d’euros et représentent plus de la moitié (55 %) de leurs dépenses de fonctionnement (65 % dans les outre-mer). Elles sont la première cause de la dégradation de la situation financière des départements, note la Cour des comptes dans son dernier rapport sur les finances publiques locales.

The Lancet (14.10.2017) The article briefly introduces the major-illness medical insurance in China, which has covered 1.01 billion people (of which 60% from rural areas) since its implementation in 2013. The new scheme is mainly funded (with an annual fee of 15 Yuan to 30 Yuan per person) through surpluses from the existing (social) medical insurance programmes (NCMS for rural residents and URMI for urban residents), and provided by commercial insurance companies through a bidding process. Local governments pay an annual administration fee to the commercial insurance companies that is about 1-3% of their total annual budget. As a result, an actual reimbursement rate of up to 70-80% (compared to less than 50% before the implementation) has been realized by combining the reimbursement under such a scheme ant those under the existing schemes. While much is still to be improved especially in terms of secured financing, the authors believe that the scheme could serve as a useful example for other countries with limited resources.

This report examines how the two global mega-trends of population ageing and rising inequalities have been developing and interacting, both within and across generations. Taking a life-course perspective the report shows how inequalities in education, health, employment and earnings compound, resulting in large differences in lifetime earnings across different groups. It suggests a policy agenda to prevent, mitigate and cope with inequalities along the life course drawing on good practices in OECD countries and emerging economies.

oecd.org (18.10.2017) Younger generations will face greater risks of inequality in old age than current retirees and for generations born since the 1960s, their experience of old age will change dramatically. Moreover, with family sizes falling, higher inequality over working lives and reforms that have cut pension incomes, some groups will face a high risk of poverty, according to a new OECD report.

gouvernement.lu  (18.10.2017) Le ministre de la Sécurité sociale, Romain Schneider, et le ministre du Travail et de l'Insertion professionnelle du Maroc, Mohamed Yatim, ont signé le 17 octobre 2017, au Luxembourg, l'accord administratif pour l'application de la convention bilatérale de sécurité sociale entre le Grand-Duché de Luxembourg et le Royaume du Maroc.

OECD (11.10.2017) The biennial OECD Digital Economy Outlook examines and documents evolutions and emerging opportunities and challenges in the digital economy. It highlights how OECD countries and partner economies are taking advantage of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the Internet to meet their public policy objectives. Through comparative evidence, it informs policy makers of regulatory practices and policy options to help maximise the potential of the digital economy as a driver for innovation and inclusive growth.

Sweden’s public sector is increasingly focused on digital services, which place new demands of agility and speed on its IT. For Peder Sjölander, CIO at the Swedish Pensions Agency, which manages the country’s national pensions, the answer is to bring development and operations closer together under the DevOps model. He isn’t turning back.

The Exponent Telegram (17.10.2017) Preventing and understanding respiratory diseases, especially those faced by coal miners, is one of the core missions of the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, Respiratory Health facility in Morgantown. A part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIOSH has facilities across the country. The one in Morgantown, next door to Ruby Memorial Hospital, opened in 1996. One of the facility’s four divisions is dedicated to respiratory health research and implementing new discoveries to the workplace.

Démonstration que les comptes sociaux français sont solides.

Le Figaro (17.10.2017)  Après Emmanuel Macron, c'est au tour du premier ministre Édouard Philippede recevoir ce mardi les partenaires sociaux pour discuter de la réforme de l'assurance chômage, de l'apprentissage et de la formation.

Le Temps (16.10.2017) Ces dix prochaines années, les personnes qui choisiront de devenirentrepreneurs à un stade plus avancé de leur vie seront de plus en plusnombreuses. Aux Etats-Unis, le quart des start-up sont créées par les 55 à 64 ans, analyse Jean-François Bunlon, de HSBC

Overseas Development Institute (ODI) (sept 2015) Despite starting out with one of the lowest levels of human development in the world in the 1990s, Ethiopia is one of the few African countries on track to meet most of the Millennium Development Goals.

AllAfrica (06.11.2015) The World Health Organization defines universal health coverage (UHC) as a situation in which all people who need health services receive them, without incurring financial hardship. UHC is currently perceived as a crucial component of sustainable development and listed as one of the possible goals of the post-2015 development agenda.

worldbank.org (06.07.2016) Ethiopia’s investments in health, education, social protection, and infrastructure have had a positive impact on economic development and promoting shared prosperity in the country, says 2015 Ethiopia Public Expenditure Review, a new World Bank Group report released today.

Overseas Development Institute (ODI) (nov 2016) In this BRACED working paper we present a synthesis of findings from Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda on the role of social protection programmes in contributing to people’s capacity to absorb, anticipate and adapt to climate-related shocks and stresses.

The paper reflects on the actual and potential contributions social protection can make to increase the resilience of the poorest and most vulnerable. The analysis is informed by an understanding that resilience to climate extremes and disasters cannot be built by one programme or sector alone, but requires a range of programmes that together increase the capacity of people and governments to reduce the diverse set of risks that underpin poverty and vulnerability and increase the risk of disasters. For this, the competitive advantage of different sectors needs to be identified and strengthened to form part of a wider cross-sectoral sustainable development agenda.

Le Monde (11.10.2017) De la Bretagne à ­Pittsburgh en passant par Bruxelles, San Francisco, le Tarn ou la Suisse, cet instructif documentaire à travers la planète, coécrit par Noël Mamère et Philippe ­Borrel, a de quoi inquiéter des ­millions de travailleurs.

On savait les moins qualifiés déjà durement touchés par le chômage de masse en raison de la robotisation et des machines « intelligentes », plus fiables et moins coûteuses que les ­humains. En faisant témoigner des manutentionnaires, les auteurs mettent des mots sur les maux du travail d’aujourd’hui.

(United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF).  Ethiopia launched its National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) in 2014. The policy introduces the concept of a ‘sustainable social protection system’. Various strategies and programmes are underway to support the implementation of the NSPP, but often these are still implemented in a fragmented manner. This review has been developed in order to inform NSSP stakeholders about how other countries have moved towards a systematic approach to increase access to basic services by the poorest and promote child protection measures. Approaches reviewed include: linking safety net clients to complementary services; expanding the social workforce and the role of communities to reduce barriers to access; installing measures that promote multisectoral collaboration as well as integrated targeting and monitoring of social protection programmes. 

Le Monde (16.10.2017) Résultat de dix-huit mois de tractations serrées, le texte, qui doit être soumis au vote lundi, ne reprend pas tous les points réclamés par Paris.