Informal Sector Archives - Pension Policy International

07OctOctober 7, 2026

PenCom widens pension net to diaspora, self-employed Nigerians

The National Pension Commission has moved to expand participation in the Contributory Pension Scheme to Nigerians in the diaspora, self-employed persons and informal sector workers under its Pension 2.0 reforms. The Director-General of PenCom, Omolola Oloworaran, disclosed this on Tuesday at the commission’s 2026 Customer Service Week seminar themed “Extra Mile.” Oloworaran, represented by the Head of the Surveillance Department, Mr Abdulrahman Saleem, said the reforms were designed around innovation, inclusion and integrity while improving access to retirement savings. “Under Pension 2.0,...

October 7, 2026

NewsCoverage, Informal Sector, Nigeria

24SepSeptember 24, 2026

Vietnam. Social security gap for middle-aged workers in the informal sector

At the age of 49, after the garment company narrowed its scale and laid off redundant personnel, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa (from Phu Tho, currently residing in Thanh Liet ward, Hanoi) fell into unemployment in mid-2025. Applying for jobs everywhere but not being accepted, Ms. Hoa started working at a private workshop processing gypsum and copper in Thuong Phuc commune (Hanoi). At my age, without qualifications, without degrees, applying to work as a full-time worker in companies is almost impossible. I...

September 24, 2026

NewsInformal Sector, Vietnam

22SepSeptember 22, 2026

India. Let’s financially equip gig workers

A delivery rider is paid through an app, buys his fuel and sends money home via UPI, and can tell his customer rating to the last decimal. Yet he might only quote what the platform paid him rather than what he makes, and merely guess about any insurance coverage. In other words, he is thoroughly banked, yet unable to comprehend his own finances fully and maximise financial well-being. This gap in India’s gig economy needs policy attention. A National Centre...

September 22, 2026

NewsIndia, Informal Sector

09SepSeptember 9, 2026

MTN Ghana targets informal sector in push for cash-lite economy

MTN Ghana is deepening its push for a cash-lite economy by targeting informal sector operators, including market traders, drivers and retirees, with digital payment and financial services designed to reduce reliance on physical cash. It said MTN Ghana was working closely with the government to accelerate the adoption of digital financial services and expand financial inclusion across the economy. The company’s Mobile Money Channel Development Manager, David Nana Addai, was speaking in an interview with journalists on the sidelines of this...

September 9, 2026

NewsGhana, Informal Sector

25AugAugust 25, 2026

India’s gig economy leaving its women behind, study finds

India’s gig economy, which includes 10-minute food delivery and ride-hailing apps, is creating millions of jobs. Yet, women are largely missing from it, according to a new study. Indian women have achieved near parity with men in access to basic bank accounts, but that progress isn’t carrying over to the digital economy, with women workers underrepresented in jobs at companies such as Uber Technologies, Swiggy and Urban Company, according to report by the International Labour Organization and the National Council...

August 25, 2026

NewsGender Gap, India, Informal Sector

14AugAugust 14, 2026

Expanding Social Protection and Addressing Informality in Latin America

By Jens Matthias Arnold, Aida Caldera & Elizabeth Friesen Informality remains a defining feature of Latin America’s labour markets, with around half of workers employed outside formal arrangements. While rates have slowly declined in some countries, progress is uneven and fragile. The many faces of informality — from self-employed vendors to domestic workers and employees in small firms — highlight the diverse realities of those without contracts, secure incomes, or access to social protection. The COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up...

August 14, 2026

Books, Books, Reports, System Characterization2025, Informal Sector, Latin America, Social Protection

14AugAugust 14, 2026

India. New Pension Scheme: Deposit just Rs 99 every month and get pension, new scheme launched

Gig workers working for e-commerce platforms like Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, and Urban Company can also receive pensions. A new framework has been introduced under the National Pension System (NPS), allowing these workers to start their retirement fund with a small contribution of just ₹99. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) announced this new facility on Wednesday, which will directly benefit millions of gig workers. The PFRDA stated that platform workers can now invest in NPS at their convenience....

August 14, 2026

NewsCoverage, India, Informal Sector

07AugAugust 7, 2026

AI, Fiscal Space, and Social Protection in Four Latin American Economies: ;A Scenario-based Threshold Framework

By Vicenzo Scavino Can fiscal space from artificial intelligence finance recurrent social protection in Latin America? This paper develops a prespecified, scenario-based feasibility test that translates an AI dividend into income and fiscal capture, compares it with policy costs, and applies debt-consistency and persistence screens. For Peru, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, no deterministic crossing occurs under non-stress scenarios because translation and capture jointly fall short. Crossings arise only under diagnostic disruption: Chilean guaranteed minimum income is conditionally feasible and debt-consistent;...

August 7, 2026

Articles, System Characterization2026, AI, Income, Informal Sector, Latin America, Social Protection

05AugAugust 5, 2026

Can Latin America Formalise Work Without Deepening Inequality?

Latin America and the Caribbean face a labour-market contradiction that has persisted for decades: policies designed to protect workers can sometimes make formal employment more expensive, leaving millions outside the systems intended to support them. The Inter-American Development Bank is calling for a broad redesign of labour regulation, social protection and workforce training across the region. Its report, Making Labor Markets Work: Improving Productivity and Workers’ Welfare in Latin America and the Caribbean, argues that governments do not have to choose...

August 5, 2026

NewsEquality, Informal Sector, Latin America

17JulJuly 17, 2026

Inclusive Pensions for an Aging World: Evidence and Strategies for Engaging Informal Workers

By Clément Joubert, Jessica Meckler, Simrin Makhija & Lili Vessereau This Working Paper reviews how different countries have designed pension schemes for informal workers. It focuses on contributory schemes for the “missing middle”: informal workers who have sufficiently stable incomes to save for old age but lack access to suitable pension options. The paper draws upon public documentation and literature on how to target and scale pension schemes for informal sector workers. The world is experiencing a demographic shift in which populations...

July 17, 2026

Books, Books, Pension design, ReportsCoverage, Financial Inclusion, Informal Sector, Pension design

October 2026

PenCom widens pension net to diaspora, self-employed Nigerians

September 2026

Vietnam. Social security gap for middle-aged workers in the informal sector

India. Let’s financially equip gig workers

MTN Ghana targets informal sector in push for cash-lite economy

August 2026

India’s gig economy leaving its women behind, study finds

India. New Pension Scheme: Deposit just Rs 99 every month and get pension, new scheme launched

Can Latin America Formalise Work Without Deepening Inequality?

July 2026

Inclusive Pensions for an Aging World: Evidence and Strategies for Engaging Informal Workers