March 2025
03Mar

US. How Letting Go Of Federal Government Workers Will Impact The Job Market

President Trump’s administration has set its sights on shrinking the federal government’s workforce. It currently stands at approximately 2.3 million civilian employees. On February 26, 2025, Trump signed an Executive Order implementing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Cost Efficiency Initiative, directing agencies to root out potential fraud, and abuse in matters such as contracts, grants, payments, and travel expenses. Agencies were told to centralize technological systems to track payments, accompanied by written justifications, with plans for workforce reductions due by March 13, 2025....

March 3, 2025
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03Mar

Climate Change May Drive Premature Aging

A new USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology study suggests greater exposure to extreme heat may accelerate biological aging in older adults, raising new concerns about how climate change and heat waves could affect long-term health and aging at the molecular level. People in neighborhoods that experience more days of high heat show greater biological aging on average than residents of cooler regions, said Jennifer Ailshire, senior author of the study and professor of gerontology and sociology at the USC Leonard Davis School. Biological...

March 3, 2025
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03Mar

Brookfield eyes UK’s pensions risk deals with insurance spin-off

Brookfield, the North American asset manager, is set to muscle in on a lucrative area of the UK pensions industry dominated by Legal & General, Aviva, Standard Life and other British insurers. The Canadian-American firm will launch Brookfield Wealth Solutions (BWS), its insurance spin-off, as an entrant into the bulk annuity pensions market. This is where private companies with traditional defined-benefit pension schemes seek buy-in or buy-out deals to transfer their risks to insurers and life assurance companies. The UK pension...

March 3, 2025
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03Mar

Taiwan. Record-breaking pension fund earnings distributed

People enrolled in the new Labor Pension Fund received record-breaking boosts to their pensions, as gains made through the fund’s investments were distributed across accounts today, the Bureau of Labor Insurance announced. Investments made by the fund netted record gains of NT$698.97 billion (US$21.25 billion) last year, the bureau said. A total of 12.92 million people enrolled in the fund had their pensions boosted, 200,000 more than the previous year, the bureau said. Bureau of Labor Insurance signage is pictured in Taipei...

March 3, 2025
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February 2025
28Feb

UK Pension Fund Pulls £28bn From State Street Amid ESG Policy Divisions

The People’s Pension, the UK’s largest commercial master trust, has withdrawn £28bn from State Street, prioritizing sustainability, active stewardship, and long-term value creation. The fund awarded a £20bn equity mandate to Amundi and £8bn in fixed-income assets to Invesco, both sharing the People’s Pension’s commitment to responsible investment. This decision comes amid the European Commission’s recent Omnibus package, which narrows corporate sustainability reporting legislation in the EU, and a retreat from ESG initiatives by US firms under the Trump...

February 28, 2025
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28Feb

US. Public pension funds allocate more to fixed income, lower return assumptions — NCPERS

Public pension funds are increasing allocations to fixed income and continuing to lower their investment assumptions, according to a study from the National Conference on Public Employees Retirement Systems. The study, which reflects data from 201 U.S. public pension funds that collectively oversee more than $3 trillion in assets, shows those plans that reported data as of June 30 had an average investment return of 9.5%, and the trend toward lower investment return assumptions continues with an average discount rate...

February 28, 2025
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28Feb

AI robots may hold key to nursing Japan’s ageing population

Recently in Tokyo an AI-driven robot leaned over a man lying on his back and gently put a hand on his knee and another on a shoulder and rolled him onto his side -- a manoeuvre used to change diapers or prevent bedsores in the elderly. The 150-kg (330 lb) artificial intelligence-driven humanoid robot called AIREC is a prototype future "caregiver" for Japan's rapidly ageing population and chronic shortage of aged-care workers. "Given our highly advanced ageing society and declining births,...

February 28, 2025
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27Feb

‘Unique financial pressures’ threaten Gen Z retirement prospects

"Unique financial pressures" are threatening the retirement prospects of Gen Z (ages 18-29), according to a new report from the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) The report, The Concerns of Gen Z, found that despite "universal benefits" from automatic enrolment (AE) in workplace pension schemes, young people's ability to save is being constrained by economic uncertainty, high student debt, unaffordable housing, and changing employment patterns. According to the report, these pressures have led many to prioritise short-term financial flexibility, often at the expense of...

February 27, 2025
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27Feb

Chart of The Month: Declining Global Fertility Rates

The global fertility rate is expected to decline to 2.8 children born per female in 2025 from 3.1 a decade ago. Among the top 20 economies, the rate will fall to just 1.7, well below the replacement level of 2.1 (the level at which a population replaces itself naturally). Saudi Arabia is projected to have the highest fertility rate in this group, driven by cultural values, historical pronatalist policies, and social factors. Traditional views have promoted larger families, but...

February 27, 2025
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27Feb

India. Voluntary Pension Scheme On The Cards; Open To All, No Job Or Employment Needed: Report

To provide financial stability outside of conventional job-based plans, the Centre is developing a Universal Pension Scheme. The scheme aims to streamline current pension plans and increase their accessibility, especially for unorganized workers, traders, and self-employed people, according to an ET report. The scheme will be available to everyone, regardless of their job or business. The ET report states that the Labour Ministry has initiated talks on the voluntary and contributory pension plan that would enable people from all backgrounds to...

February 27, 2025
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