July 2024
09Jul

US. Employer group urges Congress to increase retirement plan awareness for gig workers

In response to a request for information on June 5 from Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, for ways to allow gig workers access to retirement benefits, the American Benefits Council (ABC) has responded. The employer group sent a letter, including suggestions introduced in the SECURE 2.0. legislation, as well as pooled employers plans (PEPs) established by Congress. "The vast majority of independent workers prefer alternative work arrangements to traditional...

July 9, 2024
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08Jul

Empowering India’s Gig Workers: The Need for Comprehensive Legislation

In the bustling streets of India's cities, where the hum of traffic meets the aroma of street food, a new workforce is silently shaping the future. These are the gig workers  the delivery drivers rushing through narrow lanes to bring you a warm meal, the freelance coders burning the midnight oil to meet a deadline, and the rideshare drivers ensuring you reach your destination safely. They are the backbone of a rapidly growing digital economy, offering flexibility and convenience...

July 8, 2024
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May 2024
29May

What is the gig economy and how will it be affected by Uber’s announcement?

Uber's announcement of basic employment rights for its drivers comes after a long-running court battle that could force a shake-up in the so-called gig economy. What is the gig economy? The term describes a way of working where work is assigned on a short-term or job-by-job basis via platforms such as Uber, a taxi app, Deliveroo, a takeaway food service, or courier companies such as Hermes or DPD. Other smaller platforms connect people with opportunities from office and administration work to teaching, gardening and...

May 29, 2024
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10May

Ghana. PFAG, IPTC partner to provide pensions for smallholder farmers

The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) and the Industrial Pensions Trust Company (IPTC) have launched a significant partnership with the goal of offering affordable, flexible, and sustainable retirement planning products through the Nkɔsoɔ Pensions and Welfare Scheme for smallholder farmers. This momentous occasion took place at the PFAG pre-season durbar and inaugural Peasant Farmers Day Celebration held in Navrongo, Ghana, on April 25, 2024. Themed ‘Deepening the Role of Smallholder Farmers in Promoting Food and Nutrition Security in the...

May 10, 2024
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April 2024
12Apr

Latent Cumulative Disadvantage: US Immigrants’ Reversed Economic Assimilation in Later Life

By Leafia Z Ye One of the most salient findings in research on immigration has been that immigrants experience substantial economic mobility as they accumulate more years in the host-society labor force and eventually approach earnings parity with their native-born counterparts. However, we do not know whether this progress is sustained in retirement. In this paper, I develop a framework of Latent Cumulative (Dis)advantage and hypothesize that even as immigrants are approaching parity with the native-born in terms of current...

April 12, 2024
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01Apr

Kenya. Treasury to spend Sh255 million on increasing pension coverage

The Treasury has lined up a series of reforms to the country’s retirement benefits policy to boost access for informal, diaspora, and short-term workers, which are set to cost up to Sh255 million by December next year. In Kenya, an estimated 3.5 million people, or 25 percent of the workforce, are covered by retirement benefit schemes, according to the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA), meaning the majority of Kenyans will retire poor. The new measures outlined in the newly published National...

April 1, 2024
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March 2024
26Mar

What we must do to expand pension coverage in Kenya

By SIMON WAFUBWA   Significant progress in the pension sector has been made in the past two decades and we continue to see growth every year. According to the Retirement Benefits Authority, Kenya’s Pension Assets stood at Sh1.7 trillion by the end of June 2023. This marked an 8.1 percent growth compared to Sh1.5 trillion the previous year. However, as a country, we still have certain challenges to overcome to ensure the financial security of the entire population during their retirement years. The...

March 26, 2024
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20Mar

Interview with World Bank Country Manager Emanuel Salinas on the Pension System in Albania

1.  What is the World Bank's evaluation of the current pension program, which was approved in 2015? The 2015 pension reform of Albania was a step in the right direction towards establishing a clearer link between contributions and benefits, while also improving sustainability of the overall system. The change in the defined benefit formula in 2015 meant that individuals who paid more and more frequently into the system will receive higher pension benefits. The gradual increase of the retirement age...

March 20, 2024
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19Mar

UK. Deliveroo is spending an estimated $230,000 to give a handful of riders 15 hours of childcare—after years of lobbying to avoid paying sick leave, PTO, and pensions

Deliveroo burst into its first profit last year, and the company appears to be shelling out a small fraction of that windfall to its self-employed riders. The delivery app is partnering with Bubble, an on-demand childcare platform that matches parents with babysitters, to give a small portion of its 50,000 U.K.-based riders free childcare. Deliveroo will give 1,000 of its riders 15 hours of childcare to access through Bubble’s app, the pair announced. But the initiative might appear hollow to riders who...

March 19, 2024
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04Mar

Revolutionizing Retirement: How TWPS is Pioneering Pension Participation in Jamaica

In a groundbreaking move, the Tourism Workers Pension Scheme (TWPS) is setting a new standard for pension schemes, aiming to significantly boost retirement participation among Jamaica's tourism workers. Differentiated by its inclusivity of both employed and self-employed individuals and bolstered by government support, TWPS is driving towards a membership goal of 20,000 in the current year, overcoming initial setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unique Features and Strategic Goals The TWPS stands out by covering workers in the private sector, with...

March 4, 2024
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