The HR Observer (24.01.2023) The Omani’s National Employment Programme launched a self-employment platform collaboration with AWJ Innovation and Occidental Oman to encourage the self employed individuals to connect with potential employers. “Self employment is one of the initiatives launched by the National Employment programme in partnership with the concerned authorities with the aim of providing integrated and interrelated facilities for self employed individuals in the Sultante of Oman,” said Azhar al Kindi, Executive Director of the National Employment Programme.

politico.eu (25.07.2024) The European Commission said Thursday it is taking legal action against Germany and Italy, accusing both countries of discriminating against EU migrants regarding social security. In 2018 and 2022, respectively, the German state of Bavaria and Italy passed laws reducing the amount of family benefits paid to mobile workers — a term referring to EU nationals working in a country where they are not citizens. As a result, the Commission referred Italy and Germany to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), calling the schemes “discrimination.”

OECD (May 2023) Effective welfare policies need to consider interactions among economic, social and environmental outcomes. This paper, prepared to support Finance track discussions during Japan’s 2023 Presidency of the G7, describes a variety of national and international initiatives to improve the measurement of multidimensional welfare and well-being "beyond GDP". For example, the 2025 System of National Accounts (SNA) will provide greater visibility to the digital economy and free digital services, unpaid household activities, and the depletion of natural capital.

oecd (20.06.2024) Society at a Glance 2024: OECD Social Indicators, the tenth edition of the biennial OECD overview of social indicators, addresses the growing demand for quantitative evidence on social well-being and its trends. The report features a special chapter on fertility trends which discusses evidence from recent OECD analysis on the effect of labour market outcomes, housing costs and different aspects of the family policy framework (e.g. parental leave, childcare, and financial supports) on fertility trends and highlights key policy challenges.

elpais.com (21.06.2024) The country’s aging population and low fertility rate jeopardizes the solvency of Social Security and the Medicare program, according to a new study by Brookings

European Commission (20.06.2024) The report highlights that European pension systems have protected retired Europeans’ living standards in the face of global challenges. Resilient public pensions, indexation, and redistribution mechanisms have maintained pension adequacy during crises. However, pensions are predicted to decrease, calling for reinforced policies to promote longer careers, healthy ageing policies, inclusive labour markets, and greater flexibility in retirement pathways.

Singapore Business Review (20.06.2024) Gig workers will be enabled to secure their retirement, benefit from improved workplace safety, and gain greater visibility within the industry.

worldbank.org (21.05.2024) Haba Haba, which means “bit by bit” in Swahili, is a voluntary pension scheme in Kenya for workers in informal employment and promises to be a scheme through which they can slowly but surely save for their old age. The scheme, administered by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) was launched as a pilot in 2019. Haba Haba allows for easy, anytime, anywhere savings by informal economy workers.

worldbank.org (14.06.2024) Through its Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) Program, supported by the World Bank under the Social Protection Transformation Project, Rwanda is successfully providing high-quality care and early stimulation for children, helping parents access resources necessary for proper family nutrition. Consequently, the country has made significant strides in its commitment to early childhood development reforms and is setting an example worldwide.

mybroadband.co.za (13.06.2024) The Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) suffered a cyberattack in February 2024, and it only expects to restore its self-service functionality by 21 June 2024. A notice published on the GEPF’s social media pages says the self-service functionality on its web platform and app was still offline due to the data breach at the Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA). “The GPAA has determined that a total rebuild of the platforms is necessary to ensure a stronger platform,” it said. It is expected that the rebuilt platforms will be operational by 21 June.