Financial sector development is a critical area of effective social protection policy. A well-regulated financial sector can complement government efforts to keep households from falling into poverty - by supplying the instruments needed to pool risks, or to self-insure against losses because of...

What to do about the extent of unregulated informal employment and the size of the shadow economy is a dilemma that has been gaining urgency, particularly in Europe's periphery. The forces that accompany globalization put a premium on mobility and skill-renewal. Rapid population ageing will...

Individuals and societies can respond in a variety of ways when faced with the prospect of economic losses from shocks like natural disasters, sickness, sudden death, disability and unemployment. Social risk management is a conceptual framework encompassing three broad categories of response:...