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.

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.

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.

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.

plos.org (04.11.2021) Latin American governments swiftly implemented income assistance programs to sustain families’ livelihoods during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. This paper analyzes the potential coverage and generosity of these measures and assesses the suitability of current safety nets to deal with unexpected negative income shocks in 10 Latin American countries.

Willis Towers Watson (05.11.2021)  A Senate-approved bill in the Netherlands provides both maternal and paternal paid leave for up to nine weeks after a child is born.

pravda.com.ua (01.11.2021) Ukraine is in the top 15 countries globally for the fastest ageing population and the State Budget has allocated about UAH 170 billion to cover pensions in the security and defence sectors, fund social contributions for some categories of people, allowances, increases to pensions and to bridge the deficit of the Pension Fund. The Ukrainian pension system stands at a crossroads and the recent COVID-19 crisis has only amplified the urgent need for reform.

CTV News (17.10.2021)On Oct. 23 – the last day of Small Business Week – the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) are set to expire. Both programs have been extended several times since being implemented in 2020.

As for individual benefits, the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) and the Canada Recovery Caregiver Benefit (CRCB) are also set to terminate on Saturday. These programs, too, can be extended into November by the government.