ilo.org (07.12.2021) This regional report documents and analyses country experiences and lessons on the extension of social health protection coverage in the Asia and the Pacific region. It provides a detailed account of progress made, challenges encountered and remaining coverage gaps, and explores their root causes.

Jamaica Information Service (06.12.2021) For the first time, Jamaica’s household helpers and fisherfolk will be able to secure pension benefits under the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) as the Government moves to formalise these sectors. This will be facilitated under the Transition to Formality Action Plan, which will see this segment of workers being able to access health and life insurance, pension and other facilities to provide them with security and protection in their work environment. The Action Plan, which was officially launched by Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon.

International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG)  -  (08.12.2021) This Policy Research Brief presents the reforms under way in the social protection systems of Tunisia and Morocco in light of the COVID-19 crisis. Although both countries have demonstrated political will and commitment to address coverage gaps, they still need to develop a proper legal framework and fiscal space to implement social protection floors in the coming years.

Willis Towers Watson (30.12.2021) Legislation establishing the creation of a universal health system (l'assurance maladie universelle – AMU) has been approved by the national assembly. This follows the approval of a new Labor Code in June 2021 (to be effective 12 months after being signed into law), which includes the general right to health insurance coverage for all workers. The government aims to complete the rollout of AMU by 2025, although a detailed plan has yet to be released.

ilo.org (25.11.2021) This report is produced for the G20 Development Working Group by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the World Bank. It demonstrates the key role that social protection has played in countries at all income levels in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

pd.co.ke (24.11.2021) It will be a major score for expectant and lactating mothers working in the informal sector if the government adopts a newlyproposed maternity scheme. The Maternal Income Protection Benefits (MIPB) joins Linda Mama that was initiated by the National Hospital Insurance Fund, which has seen more than one million expectant mothers register for the scheme since inception in 2017. According to NHIF, which has come up with the latest scheme, MIPB is aimed at cushioning mothers in the informal sector from anxieties associated with poverty.

euronews.com  (05.05.2021) In this episode of Real Economy we ask what happens when job retention schemes come to an end in Europe? Job retention schemes have kept millions of people in work during the pandemic and lockdowns. As these emergency measures are gradually phased out, how does Europe ensure there are enough jobs and that people have the right skills for the jobs of the future?

worldbank.org (16.11.2021) While health indicators and macroeconomic data are essential for addressing the fundamentals of the COVID-19 crisis, countervailing policies need detailed information on the mechanisms through which the pandemic affects human capital, livelihoods, and welfare. This is especially important in Nigeria because the pandemic threatens to compound the country’s high levels of poverty: even before COVID-19, around 4 in 10 Nigerians lived below the national poverty line, and multidimensional poverty was even more widespread.

etui (2021) The Covid‑19 pandemic severely affected some categories of non-standard workers, and particularly the self‑employed.

euractiv (19.11.2021) The European Commission, which is due to present its proposal on platform workers on 8 December, faces a tricky balancing act: ensuring decent working conditions while maintaining the flexibility of a booming sector.