worldbank.org (2023-07-24) Jobs are crucial for individual well-being. They provide a livelihood and, equally important, a sense of dignity. They are also crucial for collective well-being and economic growth. Over the past decade, technology has fundamentally shifted traditional work patterns, creating new ways in which work is contracted, performed, managed, scheduled, and remunerated. New business models, digital platform firms, are allowing the effects of technology to reach more people more quickly, bringing economic opportunity to millions of people who do not live in industrialized countries or even industrial areas, simply with access to broadband and a digital device (World Bank 2019). Digital labor platforms play a role in the process of structural transformation especially by triggering organizational and occupational transformations, for example, by enhancing labor productivity and formalization in service sectors (Nayyar, Hallward-Driemeier, and Davies 2021). New forms of work, known as gig jobs, enabled by digital platforms, have now gained momentum (Eurofound 2020).

Institute of Development Studies (30.08.2023) To the international community, Brazil’s record on food security and social protection until relatively recently was exemplary, even enviable. The level of child stunting in Brazil fell from 25% in the mid-1980s to 15% in the mid-1990s and just 5% by the mid-2010s. This is a remarkable success story. Throughout the same 30-year period, the rate of child stunting in South Africa, a country that shares many characteristics with Brazil, remained constant at about 25%. 

When President Lula da Silva came into office in 2003, he almost immediately launched Fome Zero or Zero Hunger, a coordinated set of government interventions that aimed to eradicate hunger and extreme poverty in Brazil.

ilo.org (2023) Drawing from the ILO Guide on Extending Social Protection to Migrant Workers, Refugees, and their Families developed in collaboration with ISSA and ITCILO, the Intervention Models aim to provide policymakers and practitioners with succinct practical guidance on how to extend social protection to specific groups of migrant workers. The intervention model includes a brief overview of the obstacles, the international legal framework, and a set of proposed policy measures based on existing country practices and international labour standards.

Institute of Development Studies (30.09.2023) To the international community, Brazil’s record on food security and social protection until relatively recently was exemplary, even enviable. The level of child stunting in Brazil fell from 25% in the mid-1980s to 15% in the mid-1990s and just 5% by the mid-2010s. This is a remarkable success story. Throughout the same 30-year period, the rate of child stunting in South Africa, a country that shares many characteristics with Brazil, remained constant at about 25%.

Morningstar (30.08.2023)  'Imagine what our society could look like if we focused on building resilient communities.' Ageism and loneliness are two relevant public health issues, mainly affecting older adults' mental health. As the average life expectancy increases, these issues tend to coexist and may threaten the quality of life of older adults, particularly those with significant barriers.

eurofound.europa.eu (2021) Technological change is accelerating as the capacity of electronic devices to digitally store, process and communicate information expands. Digitalisation is transforming the EU economy and labour markets: nearly one-third of EU workplaces are categorised as highly digitalised. What are the implications of the digital revolution for employment and work? And how might it affect social dialogue? Eurofound has produced a body of work to explore these questions. The work is structured around three vectors of change in digitalisation – automation, digitisation and platforms – that are affecting employment and working conditions and social dialogue. The main results of this research have been compiled in the online resource The digital age: Automation, digitisation and platforms. This report draws from that resource to provide a digest of the findings and policy pointers.

Eurofound (16.08.2023) This report addresses the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on social services in the EU. While the pandemic negatively affected social services, it nevertheless provided lessons on how to adapt them in response to new challenges and social risks. One lesson, for instance, is that policies should be developed to make better use of digitalisation in the sector, to improve access to new technologies and training for both workers and services’ target groups. And, most importantly, there is a need for clear contingency plans and funding for adaptation in times of crisis.  An increase in public expenditure on social protection, healthcare and education was a critical part of the pandemic response. However, there is uncertainty about the future development of social services in the context of the overarching policy interest and investment in the green and digital transition. This implies that the contribution of social services to the resilience of European societies needs to remain in the policy debate and that policies should be further fine-tuned.

worldbank (18.08.2023) Technology and data are integral to daily life. As health systems face increasing demands to deliver new, more, better, and seamless services affordable to all people, data and technology are essential. With the potential and perils of innovations like artificial intelligence the future of health care is expected to be technology-embedded and data-linked. This shift involves expanding the focus from digitization of health data to integrating digital and health as one: Digital-in-Health. The World Bank’s report, Digital-in-Health: Unlocking the Value for Everyone, calls for a new digital-in-health approach where digital technology and data are infused into every aspect of health systems management and health service delivery for better health outcomes. The report proposes ten recommendations across three priority areas for governments to invest in: prioritize, connect and scale.

ilo.org (June 2023) The digital transformation of social security administration and services is complex and multifaceted. It requires careful consideration of various factors, such as the legal and regulatory frameworks, technological infrastructure, and social and cultural norms. This comparative analysis examines the digital transformation of social security administration and services in four countries - Australia, Canada, Denmark, and France - and identifies the key drivers, challenges, and key lessons learned. The comparison finds that the four countries have adopted different approaches to digital transformation, reflecting their unique political, economic, and social contexts. However, some common themes and trends emerge from the analysis. Two key drivers are identified in all four countries. The first driver of digital transformation is motivated by a desire to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of social security administration and services. This is particularly important as populations are ageing, demand for social services is rising, and competition for limited public sector resources is increasing. The innovative application of technology is opportunities to streamline processes, improve productivity and reduce costs while enhancing the quality of services. A second driver is a desire to enhance the quality of services and expansion. Digital technologies can enable more personalized and responsive services, as well as provide users with greater control over their data and interactions with social security agencies, and user experience and increase citizen engagement. From an initial focus on economic efficiencies, the four countries combined this with a desire to improve the user experience, increase user engagement in creating and testing new services, and include new beneficiaries.

reliefweb.int (10.08.2023) In a world grappling with the dual challenges of climate change and socio-economic inequalities and vulnerability, fostering coherence between social protection (SP) and climate action becomes imperative, a Climate Centre brief published today argues. Social protection programmes designed to alleviate poverty and enhance well-being intersect with the adverse impacts of climate change, which disproportionately affect vulnerable communities. But integrating social protection into climate action can significantly boost recognition of the former as a tool for the latter.

dhakatribune.com (17.08.2023) Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday inaugurated the much-talked-about Universal Pension Scheme to bring all the people of the country aged above 18 under the scheme. She initially opened the pension scheme — Pragati, Surokkha, Samata and Prabashi — joining the inaugural program virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence in the morning. After launching the scheme, the premier said: "We opened the Universal Pension Scheme in the Month of Mourning. Initially four schemes out of six were inaugurated today as two other schemes will be launched later." 

• Pragati scheme for private job holders
• Surokkha for self-employed persons
• Samata for low-income people
• Prabashi scheme for expatriate Bangladeshis

hrmagazine.co.uk (17.08.2023) The gig economy continues to be a hot topic for discussion as the UK works on its position on fair work. Dan Cave uncovers the current climate and explores the alternatives.

Nasdaq (13.08.2023) India plans to roll out welfare measures for "gig" workers employed through platforms like Amazon, Uber and India's Zomato as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government prepares for elections, government and trade union officials said. The plan, part of the Social Security Code enacted in 2020, could include accident, health insurance and retirement benefits, said a senior government official with direct knowledge of the plan.

euromed-economists.org (July 2023)  This policy paper delves into the importance of robust social protection systems in promoting dignity and security for all individuals. Focusing on Egypt, Tunisia, and Lebanon, the paper examines the current landscape of formal and informal social protection mechanisms. It identifies challenges and presents policy recommendations, with a particular emphasis on the development of Micro-social Protection Programme schemes (MSPP). By enhancing social protection programmes, this paper aims to ensure comprehensive support for vulnerable populations and foster inclusive and sustainable development in the region.

orfonline.org (08.08.2023) By taking a gender-transformative and a rights-based entitlement approach, this Policy Brief stresses the importance of investing in the care economy within the context of COVID-19 recovery plans, the G20 agenda of striving for just and equitable growth, and India’s Vision 2047. Ensuring greater gender equality in the distribution of paid and unpaid work can be socially transformative and enhance gross domestic product. This Brief explores inequality within the care economy in India, specifically focusing on the unpaid care work, paid work, and paid care work circles, and their negative impacts. It further describes the challenges and importance of investing in care, with a particular focus on childcare provision. This Brief recommends positioning care as a fundamental pillar of a lifecycle social protection system and economic growth trajectories, with investment in the provision of care services as a public good provided by the state.

ec.europa.eu (27.07.2023) Undeclared work has important economic and social implications, including the loss of social security contributions and taxes, but also higher incidence of work accidents, missed professional development opportunities for workers, unfair competition and market distortions for businesses, among others. The European Commission launched this study to gather deeper insights into, and empirical evidence of, successful policies and policy combinations for tackling undeclared work. This study reviewed empirical evidence across the full range of direct and indirect policy measures, including their potential effectiveness in transforming undeclared work into declared work.

oecd-ilibrary.org (11.07.2023) The 2023 edition of the OECD Employment Outlook examines the latest labour market developments in OECD countries. It focuses, in particular, on the evolution of labour demand and widespread shortages, as well as on wage developments in times of high inflation and related policies. It also takes stock of the current evidence on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the labour market. Progress in AI has been such that, in many areas, its outputs have become almost indistinguishable from that of humans, and the landscape continues to change quickly, as recent developments in large language models have shown. This, combined with the falling costs of developing and adopting AI systems, suggests that OECD countries may be on the verge of a technological revolution that could fundamentally change the workplace. While there are many potential benefits from AI, there are also significant risks that need to be urgently addressed, despite the uncertainty about the short- to medium-term evolution of AI. This edition investigates how to get the balance right in addressing the possible negative effects of AI on labour market outcomes while not stifling its benefits.

orfonline.org (15.07.2023) The increasing need for an extensive social safety net has prompted most countries to launch new social protection measures or reframe existing ones. The G20’s Development Working Group emphasises the importance of effective social protection systems in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to enable the poor to contribute to mainstream economic activity. Taking a cue from this and learning lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and recent developments in social protection, this policy brief examines whether existing social protection policies should be rethought and redesigned to respond to the challenges of the contemporary ‘polycrisis’ world, while also striving for more cost-effective and impactful approaches. The brief suggests a greater role for the G20 in supporting an enhanced global social protection agenda, ensuring coordination among its members in promoting these approaches, and mobilising resources, including through the expansion of development cooperation support to other non-G20 countries to expand and sustain robust national social protection initiatives as part of the overall SDGs implementation efforts.

Journal of Social Policy, Social Change and Development (2023) The result of the study implies that both countries have made significant efforts to support individuals and businesses affected by the pandemic. Their policy responses differ in terms of scope, implementation, and outcome. Norway's policy response has been characterized by a significant expansion of its welfare state, including the provision of financial assistance to individuals, businesses, and local governments. In contrast, Japan's policy response has been more targeted and focused on supporting specific sectors and vulnerable groups, such as small and medium-sized enterprises and low-income households.

An overview of the key features of the ambitious reforms which fundamentally reshape the social protection landscape in Oman.

wtwco.com (30.06.2023) Facing an aging population, low birth rate and increased life expectancies, Uruguay’s government acts to shore up its social security retirement system through sweeping reforms.

Benefits Canada.com (06.07.2023) Amid the growing gig economy, as well as workers’ calls for increased flexibility and a volatile labour market, there’s increasing demand for portable benefits. Specifically, portable benefits can provide inclusive wellness supports and access to pensions for all workers; support newcomer integration; remove barriers to employment for people who receive social assistance and are at risk of losing government-provided benefits upon acceptance of a job offer; and help ensure women, who often face more career interruptions than men, have enough money in retirement.

oecd (Jul 2023) This study sets out a conceptual framework to analyse the impact of climate change and greenhouse gases mitigation efforts on the labour market, migration flows and people’s health, as well as the most important policy levers that can cushion potential negative impacts and maximise opportunities from the climate transition.

OECD (Jul 2023) This study provides an in-depth examination of the fiscal and governance decentralisation of long-term care (LTC) across OECD countries, offering projections of future fiscal burdens of LTC spending across levels of government. With rapid population ageing and a decrease in the supply of informal care, LTC spending has increased significantly. The paper introduces a novel methodology to estimate LTC expenditures across different government levels, including central and subnational governments. By analysing country cases, it explores the responsibilities assigned to each government level and the implications for service delivery and intergovernmental coordination. The study also discusses the overall anticipated increase of LTC expenditure to 2.3% of GDP by 2040, identifying the most impacted countries. This research contributes to our understanding of LTC systems, highlights the challenges of increasing LTC costs and provides insights for optimising governance and fiscal expenditure.

ilo.org (29.06.2023) The International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation , has launched a new series of policy briefs examining trends and issues in youth employment, including the impact of COVID-19 in seven sub-Saharan African countries. A webinar on youth employment and school-to-work transitions in Africa , organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO)  and in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, and YouthForesight , provided the platform for the launch of the country briefs and a cross-country review of youth employment, school-to-work transition and the impact of COVID-19 on youth labour market outcomes in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda.