April 2026

Informal Workers in Mexico: A Statistical Snapshot

By José de Jesús Luján Salazar & Joann Vanek In Mexico City and urban Mexico, women comprise 42 per cent and men 58 per cent of the labour force. In Mexico nationally, women’s share is slightly lower at 39 per cent. Between 2013 and 2019, employment in Mexico increased by more than 5 million workers but women’s share of employment did not increase significantly. The data in this brief are based on the second quarter of the 2013 and 2019 Encuesta Nacional...

PH leads region in pension coverage, but long-term viability questioned

The Philippines is emerging as one of Asia’s “stronger performers in pension coverage,” based on data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). “It is a sign that more workers are being brought into formal social protection systems,” said Dr. Alicor Panao, an Inquirer data scientist and associate professor at the University of the Philippines. Based on population coverage, about 55.5% of working-age Filipinos ages 15-65 are enrolled in pension schemes. Across Asia, where large informal sectors often exclude workers,...

2024 Labour Overview of Latin America and the Caribbean

By International Labour Organization Five years after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the labour market outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024 shows relative stability in its main labour market indicators. In line with the moderate pace of economic growth, the employment rate increased slightly in 2024 compared with the previous year. Labour supply, as measured by the participation rate - the percentage of people of working age who are working or looking for a job...

India’s Informal Sector and AI: Jobs, Justice, Policy

India’s informal sector is unlikely to disappear in the age of AI, but without deliberate policy interventions, it may become increasingly precarious, unequal, and exclusionary. The central issue is not whether AI will be adopted, but whether India can shape this transition to safeguard and enhance informal livelihoods rather than passively allowing technology to displace them at scale. India’s growth story still rests on informal work: over 90 percent of workers are employed in the informal sector, mostly in tiny, unregistered...

Ghana: NPRA to Launch Digital Platform to Boost Informal Sector Pension Enrolment

THE National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) has announced plans to roll out a comprehensive pension digital platform aimed at significantly increasing pension coverage among informal sector workers across the country. The initiative forms part of a broader policy direction by the Authority to introduce targeted incentives that will encourage workers in the informal economy to enrol onto personal pension schemes and secure their retirement income. Speaking at a media engagement in Accra, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the NPRA, Mr...

Informal workers in the rural sector in Colombia: Living conditions and social security

By Oscar Espinosa, Valeria Bejarano, Martha-Liliana Arias & Jorge-Iván González The existence of a high percentage of informal labour has a direct impact on the living conditions of millions of people and their families, especially in rural areas and developing countries. The implications of this problem present a challenge for public policy on employment, social security and business activity. Taking advantage of the wealth of microdata from the Great Integrated Household Survey (of national representation), our research aimed to...

Nigeria. Informal sector workers protest, seek urgent pension, health reforms

Informal workers under the aegis of the Federation of Informal Workers Organisations of Nigeria (FIWON) staged a protest at the National Assembly, demanding reforms of the pension and health sub-sectors. The General Secretary of FIWON, Gbenga Komolafe, who led the protest, said over 93 per cent of Nigeria’s workforce operates outside formal employment and contributes an estimated 65 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). He explained that such workers deserve social protection who are presently underserved. Komolafe warned that the country...

Gig Workers And Labour Law In India: Analysing The Legal Vacuum Under The Code On Social Security 2020

By Anshita Jain The rise of the gig economy in India has transformed traditional employment structures while exposing significant gaps in labour law protections. This paper analyses the legal status of gig and platform workers under the Code on Social Security, 2020, highlighting the challenges of worker classification and limited social security coverage. It argues that despite formal recognition, the absence of enforceable rights and clear accountability mechanisms leaves gig workers vulnerable. The paper concludes by suggesting the need for...

March 2026

HelaGo Partners with Social Security Board to Launch Pension Scheme for Sri Lanka’s Taxi Drivers

HelaGo, Sri Lanka’s emerging ride-hailing platform, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Sri Lanka Social Security Board to introduce a government-backed pension scheme for taxi drivers, marking a significant step toward improving the long-term financial security of gig economy workers in the country. The initiative seeks to address a long-standing structural gap faced by taxi drivers, who, despite earning a livelihood during their active working years, have historically lacked access to formal retirement benefits such as...

UGM Expert Warns Pension Coverage in Indonesia Remains Limited

The Ministry of Finance projects that around 100 million Indonesians may face retirement without pension savings by 2038. This condition is considered a serious alarm for the national labor system. Several factors contribute to the public’s lack of pension savings: most people set aside only about 3 percent of their income, whereas financial security standards recommend at least 10 percent. Meanwhile, the current pension security scheme still has limited coverage, particularly for the informal sector. As a result, many people...