(2026) Chile combines high income levels and strong human development outcomes with persistent inequality. This paper examines the country's social protection matrix, focusing on its institutional configuration, financial structure, and main outcomes. The analysis distinguishes three core components—mandated savings, occupational insurance, and social assistance—and explores their respective roles in redistribution, poverty reduction, and political sustainability. The results show a hybrid matrix shaped by successive policy regimes, with a marked bias toward old-age protection.

ela.europa.eu (April 2026) This report aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the main characteristics of and challenges for the LTC sector in EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway (9), addressing primarily issues falling within the institutional mandate of the European Labour Authority (ELA). Drawing on available data, it seeks to provide insight into the sector’s labour market dynamics, workforce characteristics, recruitment practices, employment and working conditions, enforcement of labour mobility and social security coordination rules, and information provision

theconversation.com (29.03.2026) South Africa introduced a new amendment to the parental leave policy in October 2025. The aim was to provide equitable rights for all parents. Noreth Muller-Kluits, a disability researcher and social worker by training, examines the policy as it affects people living with disabilities. Her recent work includes formulating a guide to support reproductive healthcare for women with disabilities.

employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu (17.03.2026) A new report by the European Social Policy Analysis Network (ESPAN) examines long-term care (LTC) settings for older people in 38 countries: the 27 EU countries, nine (potential) candidate countries, as well as Iceland and Norway.

Public Employment Services (PES) are increasingly adopting digital tools for jobseeker registration, vacancy matching and satisfaction monitoring to respond to an older client base, shifting labour market conditions and organisational challenges. They are also adopting skills-based approaches, particularly in client profiling. Furthermore, most PES are involved in the management, coordination, and delivery of the reinforced Youth Guarantee (YG), with involvement increasing since 2023 across various phases of its delivery.

ilo.org (15.04.2026) This Intervention Model aims to provide policymakers and practitioners with succinct practical guidance on how to extend social protection to migrant workers, refugees and other displaced populations so as to protect them against the adverse effects of climate change, while also benefiting from a just transition. The intervention model includes a brief overview of the obstacles, the international legal framework, and a set of proposed policy options based on existing country practices and international labour standards.

ilo.org (6 March 2026) This paper explores how the evolving platform economy is reshaping the economic landscape across Asia and the Pacific, and how countries in this diverse region are navigating emerging opportunities and challenges.

worldbank.org (2026) This note and accompanying database present preliminary analysis from real-time tracking of country responses worldwide. The analysis encompasses 195 countries and 17 variables yielding 3,842 individual data points.

ILO Social Protection (2026) Agricultural and rural workers in different types of employment face several challenges and barriers due to the largely informal nature of their employment, their exclusion from national social protection legislation, policies or practice, their vulnerabilities to economic, social and environmental crises, and lack of access to information and administrative procedures. This brief presents the key challenges in extending coverage to workers in the agricultural sector and sketches out possible solutions and good practices countries are employing to expand cove

theconversation.com (14.04.2026) Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has grown too big, too fast. The NDIS is a government-funded program providing support to more than 760,000 disabled Australians. It launched in 2013 as a way to make disability support more accessible and equitable. But public support for the NDIS is faltering. It’s one of the most expensive items in the federal budget, expected to cost taypaxers more than A$50 billion this year. And it’s a flawed system in urgent need of reform.