Social investment funds account for a growing share of the World Bank's portfolio in the social protection and human development areas. Given the demand-driven nature of these social funds, systematic feedback from beneficiaries is an essential evaluation tool. This study reviews the experience...

This paper documents trends in earnings distribution during the transition in Central Europe, and examines changes in relative wages that have underlined the rise in earnings inequality. The paper finds that the widening of earnings distribution was concentrated in the early phase of transition,...

Rapid population ageing has led to repeated adjustments to the parameters of Japan's public pension scheme over the last decade, all aimed at achieving long run financial balance. The most recent attempt, describe in this paper, introduces an adjustment mechanism that links future benefit levels...

Combining information from the firm survey of labor costs with the information about claims filed with the Guarantee Fund by workers whose employers defaulted on their severance pay obligations, the paper analyzes the so-called non-performance problem of severance pay - the fact that coverage,...

A number of trends are changing the nature of social risks and increase the importance of human capital, adaptability and flexibility. This paper discusses the usefulness of a life-course perspective in developing proactive social policies that better fit the changing life cycles of individuals...

Collecting social security contributions is an important operational issue in all types of pension systems. Many regimes are plagued by poor compliance and weak, inefficient administration. Some countries have tried to introduce an automatic incentive to contribute by moving systems closer...

This report focuses on changes in the social protection system to lessen the social impact of the economic crisis that confronts the Russian Federation today. The report is not comprehensive and covers exclusively the crisis-related issues. It addresses the key challenges of 1) coping with...

The introduction of a new pension system in Poland in 1999 was the culmination of a long policy dialogue and years of debate. During this period, the role of public opinion shaped the reform and was, in turn, shaped by the reform process. Implementation of the reform was also affected by the...

For almost a decade, the debate on social security in the region has revolved around the diversification of risks, macroeconomic effects of the systems, and private sector participation in their management. Now, however, many analysts are starting to focus on the issue of coverage. The debate on...

This paper summarizes the state of the portfolio of World Bank lending activities and analytic work on social safety nets between FY2002-2007. It presents a description of the methodology used for compiling the inventories and analyses by region, type of intervention involved, sector board, and...