worldbank.org (16.05.2024) During the recent Covid-19 shock (2020/21), most countries used cash transfers to protect the livelihoods of those affected by the pandemic or by restrictions on mobility or economic activities, including the poor and vulnerable. While a large majority of countries mobilized existing programs and/or administrative databases to expand support to new beneficiaries, countries without such programs or databases were severely limited in their capacity to respond.

barandbench.com (16.05.2024) The gig economy, a burgeoning sector, represents a paradigm shift in traditional employment models, offering flexibility and autonomy to workers across various industries. Despite its benefits, the sector's rapid growth, particularly in urban India, has highlighted significant regulatory gaps, especially concerning the protection of gig workers' basic rights. The informal nature of gig work, mediated through digital platforms, poses unique challenges in ensuring fair labour practices and safeguarding workers' rights.

undp.org (22.04.2024) UNDP Moldova will support the UX4Gov Designathon – a creative event designed to connect designers with public institutions to create user-centric solutions and improve public services. As part of the event, UNDP Moldova will support the conceptualization of the interface for a future single platform for the delivery of social services, to be developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.

WIEGO (23.10.2023) The extension of social protection to all workers, including those in the informal economy, is crucial to creating better quality employment. For this to happen, it is essential that financing for social protection is increased. A new scheme for financing social protection for gig workers in Rajasthan, India, could provide lessons for other workers in informal employment. WIEGO spoke to social activist Nikhil Dey to learn more.

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (15.05.2024) Amid an ongoing economic and fiscal crisis, Lebanon’s Parliament has approved a major reform to the country’s pension system. But it is likely to face challenges related to benefits, solvency, and coverage.

The Australian superannuation fund UniSuper had its private cloud data deleted accidentally earlier this month, disrupting the fund’s services for the past couple of weeks. A configuration problem caused Google Cloud to delete UniSuper’s account.

ceps.eu (13.05.2024) As European labour markets become increasingly digitalised, concerns about inequality and poverty are increasing. This study, completed for the European Commission, seeks to investigate these concerns further. Part A focuses on how prepared EU Member States are to manage the digital transformation in a socially fair manner. It develops 27 country fiches assessing the current and future prospects of each EU Member State.

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (30.04.2024) Algorithmic management by large online platforms disrupts societal relations. A case study about drivers in Southeast Asia demonstrates the worldwide shifts that are underway.

Asian Development (02.05.2024) These charts illustrate the rapid increases in the population aged 60 and older in Asia and the Pacific and the urgency of addressing long-term care needs in the region. Over the past two decades, life expectancy at age 60 in the region has increased by more than 5 years. But the expected number of years lived in less than full health also increased in most economies. A new harmonized dataset on older persons in nine economies in developing Asia found that  on average, 57% Asians aged over 60 have at least one diagnosed noncommunicable disease (NCD).

These are the most important changes since January 1, 2024: – Expansion of the flexibility of pension payments – Incentives for gainful employment after 65 – Raising the retirement age (now called the reference age) for women to 65 (from January 1, 2025) On September 25, 2022, the Swiss electorate approved the reform package to stabilise the pension scheme. This aims to secure and maintain the level of old-age pensions, ensure the financial balance of the system over the next decade and meet the need for flexibility.

Atlantico.fr (08.05.2024) Abondance de personnes âgées, marché du travail défaillant et manque de flexibilité des systèmes de retraite ... Au Japon et en Corée du Sud, de nombreuses personnes âgées vivent en situation de grande précarité

The Financial Express (02.05.2024) India has made remarkable progress in expanding social security through the groundbreaking Code on Social Security-2020 (CoSS 2020), positioning itself as a pioneer in this field. This legislation stands out for its acknowledgment of platform workers and extending universal social security to them. Furthermore, under India’s leadership, the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration has prioritised the goal of ensuring adequate social protection and decent working conditions for platform workers under the overarching theme of “The Future of Work”.

VoxDev (20.03.24) Evidence from Mauritius shows the consequences of losing a formal job in a labour market characterised by high rates of informal employment are significant. Unemployment benefits help mitigate these effects, while generating only small disincentive effects on labour supply.

NBER (April 2024) Social protection programs have become increasingly widespread in low- and middle-income countries, with their own distinct characteristics to match the environments in which they are operating. This paper reviews the growing literature on the design and impact of these programs. We review how to identify potential beneficiaries given the large informal sector, the design and implementation of redistribution and income support programs, and the challenges and potential of social insurance.

Cash Transfer (CT) programmes can improve maternal and child health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. However, studies assessing the effectiveness of these programmes on maternal and child health outcomes (MCH), beyond nutritional outcomes and service utilisation, remain inconclusive. We synthesized current empirical evidence on the effectiveness of these programmes in improving MCH outcomes and suggested a framework for reporting such outcomes.

blogs.worldbank.org (23.04.2024) Since its inception, GamSR's data has played a pivotal role in various programs in The Gambia, notably the 'Nafa Quick' initiative, which formed the cornerstone of the Government of The Gambia (GoTG) COVID-19 pandemic response. It swiftly reached 78,422 households in 30 districts, to mitigate the adverse effects of the pandemic on impoverished households. Subsequently, the Nafa (cash transfers) program, aimed at providing cash to the poorest, covered 20 districts and 16,966 households, employing GamSR data for eligibility assessments.

ey.com (17.04.2024) Today, humanity is experiencing a paradigm shift and transitioning to a new era. We live in a world where every person’s well-being – the happiness of the body and mind – is impacted by social environments born of numerous changes, including an aging and increasingly diverse society, changes to how and where we work, and outbreaks of emerging diseases. This changing panorama is raising people’s interest in well-being technology, as well as its value and importance.

SPIAC-B (2024) This Implementation Guide is designed for professionals involved in developing, implementing, and expanding social protection systems, particularly non-contributory schemes, or 'social assistance'. Targeted at national and local government partners, policymakers, social protection authorities, programme managers, social workers, civil society organizations, donors, and the private sector, the guide is also valuable for development and humanitarian agency staff supporting these efforts.

wiego.org (February 2024) In this briefing note we review the current debates on strategies, challenges and opportunities regarding registration in the context of social protection. In the first part, we will present the key concepts, approaches and debates on registration and situating it in the overall social protection system. The second section highlights the basic registration strategies, including outreach and awareness. We examine on-demand, census sweeps and other methods using existing data.

socialeurope.eu (17.04.2024) Platform work is often presented as a stepping-stone for migrant workers. It may not however feel so benign to them.

After age 50, immigrants experience a downward trajectory of income compared to native-born individuals. The pattern holds true across racial and ethnic groups.

ilo.org (04.04,2024) While Kenya has made significant strides towards achieving gender equality, the findings of the report shows that significant gaps remain in the realm of digital labour platforms. Women in most sectors earn less than men and have lower access to social security benefits. The existing regulation fails to recognize most of the women workers on location-based and online platform work as employees, as a result excluding women from basic labor rights and protections.

worldbank.org (31.01.2024) Angola is a middle-income country, but it has high poverty and vulnerability levels. In urban areas, households living in poverty or vulnerable to poverty are significantly more likely to be women-headed households, less likely to have access to adequate housing, and rely on self-employment. The country is affected by significant climate-related and price shocks. An analysis of drought hotspots indicates that the south and southwest regions of Angola are highly vulnerable to droughts, which have recently become more prolonged and persistent.