theedgemalaysia.com (17.06.2025) The Social Security Organisation (Socso), also known as Perkeso, aims to introduce mandatory contributions for gig economy workers starting January 2026. This initiative is part of broader efforts to extend social protection to Malaysia's expanding informal workforce which, according to official data, constitutes over 25% of the country’s workforce.

In most European countries, the average income of people over 65 is lower than that of the total population, according to the OECD. In several cases, elderly incomes fall below 80% of the national average, contributing to significantly high poverty rates among pensioners. So, how do these levels of financial precarity vary across Europe? In which countries do pensioners face the highest levels of poverty? And how does elderly income compare to the national average?

worldbank.org (17.06.2025) Almost every country in the world today is facing a predictable, but addressable, trend that will profoundly impact societies and economies: Aging. Despite numerous calls  to action, the aging agenda remains under the radar, especially when compared to other “mega trends” like climate change and digital transformation. 

OECD (16.06.2025) As populations age, the demand for long-term care (LTC), encompassing a range of personal care and assistance services, is steadily increasing across OECD countries. Care needs assessments and eligibility criteria determine who is entitled to access publicly funded LTC services, and thereby have a direct impact on public expenditures.

mppn (25.03.2025) Countries around the globe have started establishing social protection systems, aiming to implement policies and programmes to reduce poverty. At the same time, the number of countries designing and computing multidimensional poverty measures has increased in recent years, with more than 40 countries in the five world regions having official multidimensional poverty measures and others working on designing their own national Multidimensional Poverty Indices (MPI).

gulfbusiness.com (13.06.2025) The UAE has officially implemented its Basic Health Insurance Plan for private sector employees and domestic workers across the Northern Emirates, marking a pivotal shift in the nation’s approach to healthcare access and affordability. Effective since January 1, 2025, the initiative is part of a broader nationwide strategy to ensure that all residents, regardless of income or employment type, have access to essential healthcare services.

qz.com (15.01.2026) President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Keith Sonderling as his deputy labor secretary, handing employers in the so-called gig economy an ally. Sonderling previously served as Trump’s acting administrator of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) wage and hour division, as well as a Republican commissioner on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The deputy labor secretary job requires Senate confirmation and occasionally ends up leading the agency.

ntuc.org.sg (06.06.2025) A young Grab driver preparing for marriage experiences how Singapore’s groundbreaking Platform Workers Act is transforming financial security for thousands of platform workers through CPF contributions, work injury protection, and formal representation.

IPS Journal - Insecure or precarious work is not inevitable. It was created intentionally, by dismantling or circumventing employment law regulations

worldbank.org (29.05.2025) Pension systems globally have faced challenges in fulfilling their commitment to providing adequate financial security for individuals in their old age. In developing countries, pension coverage is often low, and benefits frequently fall below the poverty line. The design of the pensions systems, among other factors, tend to exacerbate informality, with only a fraction of formal workers receiving pensions. The low coverage and the little redistribution leads low wage workers to end up subsidizing high wage workers.

International Journal of Social Welfare (05.01.2025) This article provides an overview of social protection challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. It explores three main challenges: the integration of informal workers, the management of climate change and pandemics. Despite the proliferation of social protection programmes in sub-Saharan Africa, effective coverage remains low. About 76.3% of the population is not covered by any formal social protection mechanisms. Following the principle of qualitative comparative analysis, this article offers a twofold contribution.

ntuc.org.sg (30.05.2025) Platform workers in Singapore now receive mandatory work injury compensation coverage under the Platform Workers Act 2024 – here’s all you need to know about the new protections.

ILO (25.02.2025) - Conceptual framework and review of global good practices for countries in the Arab Region - Ensuring bridges between different social protection programmes and financing mechanisms - including smooth transition paths (forward and backward) between social assistance and social insurance schemes - has increasingly become an important issue in many developing countries. This has the potential to create better impetus for accessing formal employment, expand social protection coverage, stabilize income, reduce vulnerabilities.

lemonde.fr (22.05.2025) Le Parlement danois a adopté, jeudi, une loi relevant l’âge légal de départ à la retraite, aujourd’hui à 67 ans. Depuis la réforme de 2006, celui-ci est indexé sur l’espérance de vie et révisé tous les cinq ans.

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust is betting on the widely used mobile money to improve pension accessibility and convenience, as it deepens its digital transformation strategy to reach a broader base of contributors. With mobile money transaction volumes and values surging to record highs in 2024, SSNIT is integrating mobile money platforms into its service delivery model.

investmentnews.com (21.05.2025) A new Morningstar report warns that long-term care expenses could dramatically undermine the financial readiness of American retirees.But the study expert, who argues the analysis exaggerates households' actual exposure to those costs. "The Overlooked Cost: How Long-Term Services and Supports Impacts Retirement-Income Adequacy" Morningstar researchers Spencer Look and Jack VanDerhei used a proprietary model to simulate the retirement outcomes of American households under two conditions: one that includes long-term services and supports, or LTSS, and another that

A groundbreaking report has revealed the harsh realities faced by app-based transport and delivery workers across sub-Saharan Africa, accusing digital platforms of systematically undermining decent work standards.  Titled “Decent Work in the Platform Sector: A Grassroots Report from Sub-Saharan Africa”, the study draws on testimonies from workers from Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, and South Africa and exposes precarious working conditions, unfair pay, and a lack of labour protections.   The report, which

stanford.edu (19.05.2025) Despite the nation’s rapidly aging demographics, South Korea's economy has not adapted as well as the United States, a new study finds. The researchers, including Stanford health economist and director of the Asia Health Policy Program at APARC Karen Eggleston, show that age-friendly jobs attract a broad range of workers and that structural barriers in the labor market influence which groups can access these roles.

deccanherald.com (15.04.2025) The legislation will establish a dedicated board and welfare fund for gig workers. All aggregators and platforms must register with the board within 45 days of the Act’s commencement. The board will maintain and publish a register of all aggregators operating in the state on its web portal.

DW (05/12/2025) Germany's aging population is putting the country's pension system under strain. The new Labor Minister Bärbel Bas has ruffled feathers with a proposal for how to fix it.

who.int (08.05.2025) This technical brief addresses the growing gap between the rapid expansion of home- and community-based long-term care (‎LTC)‎ services and the slower development of regulatory frameworks for quality management in these settings. While such services are essential for supporting older people to age in place and remain engaged in their communities, it is increasingly urgent to ensure that care is safe, appropriate and person-centred.

International Labour Organization (30.05.2025) China’s experience in pursuing universal health coverage: In recent years, China has made significant strides in extending health coverage. This technical report systematically summarizes China’s experience developing and strengthening its health system towards universal health protection. The report provides a clear picture of the recent evolution of the health system in China in the last decades and highlights remaining challenges.

worldbank.org (05.05.2025) In low-income countries, formal health systems are stretched thin, and rural and underserved areas often lack adequate primary healthcare coverage, delaying essential interventions and leaving populations vulnerable to preventable diseases. Mozambique was no exception. The country had particularly poor health outcomes among its peers, with high rates of stunting (40%) and malnutrition, as well as one of the highest rates of child marriage and adolescent fertility in the world.

The Care Dividend Why and How Countries Should Invest in Long-Term Care

Euractiv (18.04.2025) Supporters argue the measure would encourage more Italians abroad to formally register with AIRE, putting an end to widespread avoidance.