Using newly available census data, the stock of international migrants is estimated at 247 million in 2013, significantly larger than the previous estimate of 232 million, and is expected to surpass 250 million in 2015. Migrants’ remittances to developing countries are estimated to have reached $436 billion in 2014, a 4.4 percent increase over the 2013 level. All developing regions recorded positive growth except Europe and Central Asia (ECA), where remittance flows contracted due to the deterioration of the Russian economy and the depreciation of the ruble. In 2015, however, the growth of remittance flows to developing countries is expected to moderate sharply to 0.9 percent to $440 billion, led by a 12.7 percent decline in ECA and slowdown in East Asia and the Pacific, Middle-East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa. The positive impact on flows of a robust recovery in the US will be partially offset by continued weakness in Europe, the impact of lower oil prices on the Russian economy, the strengthening of the US dollar, and tighter immigration controls in many source countries for remittances. Remittance flows are expected to recover in 2016 to reach $479 billion by 2017, in line with the more positive global economic outlook.

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Migration and remittances : recent developments and outlook

This white paper is a contribution to the broader, global discussion of the changing nature of work and how policy can shape its implications for the wellbeing of people. It focusses on the policy interventions made to help people manage risk, uncertainty and the losses from events whose impacts are channeled primarily through the labor market. The objectives of the white paper are: to scrutinize the relevance and effects of prevailing risk-sharing policies in low- and middle-income countries; take account of how global drivers of disruption shape and diversify how people work; in light of this diversity, propose alternative risk-sharing policies, or ways to augment and improve current policies to be more relevant and responsive to peoples' needs; and map a reasonable transition path from the current to an alternative policy approach that substantially extends protection to a greater portion of working people and their families. The term risk-sharing policies is used broadly in reference to the set of institutions, regulations and interventions that societies put in place to help households manage shocks to their livelihoods. Effective risk-sharing policies are foundational to building equity, resilience and opportunity. These policies include formal rules and structures that regulate market interactions (worker protections and other labor market institutions), that help people pool risks (social assistance and social insurance), to save and insure affordably and effectively (mandatory and incentivized individual savings and other financial instruments), and to recover from losses in the wake of livelihood shocks ('active' reemployment measures).

/pdf/protecting-all-risk-sharing-for-a-diverse-and-diversifying-vlqf6yip71.pdf

Protecting All: Risk Sharing for a Diverse and Diversifying World of Work

Disability, poverty, and role of the basic livelihood security system on health services utilization among the elderly in South Korea.

China is aging at an unprecedented rate. Improvements in life expectancy and the consequences of the decades-old family planning policy have led to a rapid increase in the elderly population. According to the United Nations’ World Population Prospects, the proportion of older people age 65 and over will more than double from 2010 to 2030, and the elderly will account for over one quarterof the total population by 2050. Population aging will not only pose challenges for elder care but also have an impact on the economy and all aspects of society.

Options for Aged Care in China: Building an Efficient and Sustainable Aged Care System

Aging around the world poses a global challenge in eldercare. This challenge is particularly felt in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where population aging outpaces the development of aged care policies and services. This Perspective highlights the phenomenon of global convergence in several unsettling trends and challenges shared across LMICs. These include the weakening of informal family care systems for the elderly, growing need for formal long-term care of the frail and disabled who can no longer be adequately supported by family members, and mounting pressures for policy responses to tackle these societal challenges. It is argued that policymakers should take a proactive stance. That is, when family care for the elderly falls short and family caregivers are increasingly under strain, the government should step in and step up support to fill in the gap by developing appropriate policies and a continuum of long-term care services that are accessible and affordable for the majority of older people in need. Three general principles are then suggested with regard to long-term care provision, financing, and quality assurance, which transcend national borders and can be used to guide long-term care policymaking across LMICs.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/08959420.2019.1626205

Global Convergence: Aging and Long-Term Care Policy Challenges in the Developing World.

The population in East Asia and Pacific is aging rapidly, raising concerns about the implications for the region’s economic future. This report aims to crystallize what is known about the rapidly changing and diverse demographics of East Asian and Pacific countries. It documents policy frameworks on aging and explores the implications of alternative reform options. Its purpose is not only to provide a comprehensive review of aging in the region and associated policy responses, but also to encourage policy debate by facilitating comparison of policy regimes across the region. Aging raises many challenges and risks, which East Asian and Pacific countries are well positioned to manage - provided they make policy choices that promote appropriate behavioral change by households and employers. The overview is organized as follows: the first section reviews the demographic and epidemiological transitions in East Asia and Pacific. The second section discusses the living standards and other indicators of welfare of older people in the region, such as sources of support and living arrangements. The third section discusses the effects of aging on growth, the labor force, savings, and government budgets, and the ways in which countries can manage them. The fourth section looks at challenges facing pension, health, and long-term care systems. The final section provides some concluding thoughts.

Risa Nakayama

Papers

Live long and prosper : aging in East Asia and Pacific