July 2025

UK. Increase in pension contributions would create tough times for small businesses

Small businesses would be forced into some tough trade-offs if pension contributions were to rise by 6%, according to a report by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The vast majority (92%) of businesses would have to raise their prices, recruit fewer workers, cut profits or reduce the number of employees to cope with a doubling in pension contributions, the FSB said. The organisation called for a full economic assessment, along with a review of how workplace pension changes impact employers, before...

A Common Assumption About Aging May Be Wrong, Study Suggests

A new analysis of data gathered from a small Indigenous population in the Bolivian Amazon suggests some of our basic assumptions about the biological process of aging might be wrong. Inflammation is a natural immune response that protects the body from injury or infection. Scientists have long believed that long-term, low-grade inflammation — also known as “inflammaging” — is a universal hallmark of getting older. But this new data raises the question of whether inflammation is directly linked to aging...

Ghana. Expand informal sector pension coverage – Minister charges NPRA board

The Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment, Dr Rashid Pelpuo, has charged the governing council of the pensions regulator to expand pensions coverage to the informal sector. He said the sector held a significant share of the working population and untapped pension contributors of the country. “Innovative policies and tailored products must be developed to harness and protect the hard-earned savings of informal workers,” Dr Pelpuo said, when he swore in a 10-member board of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA)...

Some 54% in Germany would work post-retirement to maintain lifestyle

Nearly 75% of people surveyed in Germany believe they will not be able to maintain their current standard of living when they retire, because their pensions will be insufficient and slightly more than half plan to keep working because of that. To maintain their standard of living, 54.3% of the of the 1,163 working respondents queried in a YouGov poll released on Monday, said they would be willing to work beyond the legal retirement age, mostly in part-time and up...

June 2025

Ministro del Trabajo y Previsión Social revisó avances laborales y previsionales en Chile

“Últimos avances en materia laboral y previsional en Chile”, llevó por nombre el seminario inaugurado por el ministro del Trabajo y Previsión Social, Giorgio Boccardo Bosoni, en la Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales de la Universidad de Talca. El ministro Boccardo destacó la etapa de implementación de la Reforma de Pensiones. “Es el desafío de política pública más grande que hemos tenido el último tiempo, es una reforma que incorporó desde su inicio una perspectiva de género en donde...

Colombia. Reforma pensional no logró ser debatida en primera sesión extraordinaria; Congreso fija nueva fecha

La reforma pensional no pudo ser discutida este viernes 27 de junio, como se tenía previsto en la primera sesión extraordinaria convocada por el Gobierno Nacional. La sesión, que buscaba reactivar el trámite legislativo para subsanar un vicio de procedimiento identificado por la Corte Constitucional, fue suspendida por falta de quorum decisorio. Aunque varios congresistas asistieron a la sesión, el número de parlamentarios no fue suficiente para continuar con la votación del proyecto, por falta de quorum decisorio. Ante esta situación, el presidente...

Perú. Aporte de 20% a AFP: Congresistas en contra de la posibilidad de aumento en el descuento

Estos días varios medios peruanos cubrieron la noticia de una supuesta propuesta para aumentar los aportes obligatorios a las AFP —aquel descuento que se hacen a los sueldos para formar un monto mayor para las pensiones— del 10% al 20%. Si bien no hay una propuesta formal, durante el Perú Market & Investments Summit 2025, evento organizado por El Dorado Investments, se sugirió que hacia esto debía tender el Perú. Mariano Álvarez, CEO de AFP Habitat, señaló que la tasa de aportes en el...

US. Trump may name a ‘shadow’ Fed chair, an unprecedented development in American history

President Donald Trump said last week that he will announce his pick to succeed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell “very soon.” The problem is that Powell still has 11 months left until the end of his term. Trump remains frustrated as ever with the Fed because it has not yet lowered interest rates. He has relentlessly attacked Powell for months. But announcing a Fed chair nominee this far in advance — if he makes good on that plan — would be an...

Nigeria. Workers’ financial insecurity deepens amid violation of Pension law

Under the Pension Reform Act, any company in Nigeria with three or more employees must participate in the Contributory Pension Scheme. While the employees contribute eight per cent of their monthly salary, the employers add 10 per cent or optionally cover full by contributing 20 per cent of the employee’s salary, with the monthly remittances routed to a Pension Fund Administrator. However, many micro and small enterprises ignore this legal requirement, which has resulted in low compliance with many...

Pensions conclave: What changes for retirement in France?

The French prime minister has hailed small steps of progress at his pensions 'conclave' - including one change which has particular significance for foreigners who have worked in France for part of their career. On Thursday, after four months of discussions between the government, employers and moderate unions broke up, France’s Prime Minister François Bayrou extended – again – the deadline to mid-July to allow agreement on sticking points. There has been no big breakthrough on the issue that has convulsed...