December 2023

Working Without Borders: The Promise and Peril of Online Gig Work

By Datta Namita,Rong Chen, Singh Sunamika, Stinshoff Clara, Iacob Nadina, Nigatu Natnael Simachew, Nxumalo Mpumelelo & Klimaviciute Luka Online gig work poses both opportunities and challenges for governments and workers. On the upside, it offers prospects for income generation, especially in developing countries, where most people work in low-productivity, low-quality, often informal jobs. The virtual and often temporary nature of gig work also provides flexibility for often neglected groups such as women, youth, migrants, and people with disabilities. These jobs...

Social security developments and trends – Americas 2023

By International Social Security Association The new ISSA report Social security developments and trends – Americas 2023 gives readers an insight into the complexities of societal and social security developments in the region. It presents initiatives and innovations of governments and institutions to overcome challenges and strengthen social security systems, schemes and services. The report starts by taking a look at notable reforms across the region. While some reforms – such as developments in unemployment insurance and social pensions – are a direct...

Charting a Course Towards Universal Social Protection: Resilience, Equity, and Opportunity for All

By World Bank Group Charting a Course Towards Universal Social Protection: Resilience, Equity, and Opportunity for All, known as the Social Protection and Jobs Compass updates the World Bank strategy for social protection amid rapid change both within the sector and beyond. The Compass puts at its heart the vision of universal social protection. It recognizes that the progressive realization of universal social protection, which ensures access to social protection for all whenever and however they need it, is critical...

Social Protection for Older Persons Social Pensions in Asia

By Sri Wening Handayani & Babken Babajanian The rising number of older persons in Asia has accentuated the importance of strengthening the systems of social protection in the region. This book examines the effectiveness and relevance of noncontributory or social pensions in supporting older persons in Asia. It discusses the political economy and financial sustainability of social pension reform, implications for gender equity and social rights, and design and implementation challenges. Case studies from Bangladesh, Nepal, Thailand, Viet Nam, and South...

Overview of social protection systems in Latin America and the Caribbean: Progress and setbacks in the face of the pandemic

By International Labour Organization The crisis triggered by the COVID-19 outbreak has exposed the gap that persists in the region to achieve comprehensive protection systems, based on a social protection floor which guarantees for universal access to health and economic security over the life cycle. Social protection coverage in Latin America evolved positively in the decade before the pandemic. Contributing members to the system increased by 14 per cent over the 2012-2019 period and the ratio of contributing workers to the employed population was 46.9...

Global Public Pensions 2023

By Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum The Global Public Pensions 2023 report explores how public pension and sovereign funds are building optimal investment strategies to address the uncertain economic environment and factor sustainability into their portfolios. The report draws on surveys, discussions, and written contributions from 22 global public funds across the world with combined assets under management of $4.3tn. These include the likes of Singapore’s GIC, Canada’s CDPQ, Australia’s Future Fund and India’s National Infrastructure Investment Fund. It...

2023 Prudent Pension Funding Report: A story of positive trends and persistent outliers

By Michael Hall  In the wake of last year’s market turbulence, are most corporate pension plans still on a pathway to achieving full funding? Yes, according to our latest research. Our 2023 Prudent Pension Funding Report reveals most (97%) corporate pension plans can achieve full funding without a significant draw on corporate cash, based on the respective firms’ latest disclosures as well as market and interest rate movement so far in 2023. This finding increased from 86% in last year’s report. Despite...

November 2023

Population Aging and the Generational Economy: A Global Perspective

By Ronald Lee & Andrew Mason Over coming decades, changes in population age structure will have profound implications for the macroeconomy, influencing economic growth, generational equity, human capital, saving and investment, and the sustainability of public and private transfer systems. How the future unfolds will depend on key actors in the generational economy: governments, families, financial institutions, and others. This path-breaking book provides a comprehensive analysis of the macroeconomic effects of changes in population age structure across the globe. The result...

Social Panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean 2022: Transforming education as a basis for sustainable development

By ECLAC Social Panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean, 2022 has four chapters. Chapter I presents the relevant macroeconomic background in terms of the evolution of per capita GDP, employment, household income distribution and the consumer price index, and looks at how income inequality and poverty have changed over the past two decades (2002–2021). The chapter also discusses changes that occurred in social stratification during the pandemic. Chapter II addresses the worrying silent crisis of education as another of the...

The National Landscape of State Retirement Benefits

By Jonathan Moody & Anthony Randazzo   Retirement security is ultimately about retirement income. Families and individuals want to know that during their retirement years they will have enough weekly, monthly, or annual income to live comfortably and meet their basic needs. Of course, many people aspire to more than just the basics. Ask even a handful of individuals about how they want to live in retirement, and you’ll hear a wide range of preferences. Expenses can vary from family-to-family, too,...