Impact of financial crises on workers' social security

Background

The financial crisis that hit high-income economies in 2008 has had a depressive economic impact around the globe, which has been compared to the recession of the 1930s. It is damaging many peoples' well-being in terms of growing unemployment and increasing insecurity for those fortunate enough to keep their employment.

In 2010, there were 27.6 million more unemployed people in the world as compared with 2007. Similarly, the numbers of people in vulnerable employment have been rising. Comparative analysis of financial crises since the mid-1990s and current projections for these indicators for 2011 give reason to fear that the human costs of the crisis will continue to be high (Cameron and Siegmann forthcoming).

Credit: China Photos/Getty Images

Topic

The roundtable discussion 'Social Security in Crisis' will provide the opportunity to discuss the impacts of financial crises on workers' social security in a range of countries.

More specifically, the roundtable will address the following questions:

1.    'How have financial crises affected workers' social security?'
2.     How effectively have workers been protected by existing social security systems?
3.     Which policy innovations have emerged from the experience of crisis?

Panelists

Laura Carpier, International Organization for Migration (IOM): 'The financial crisis and migrant workers in the Netherlands
'
Ashwani Saith, ISS: 'Indian workers employment security during the financial crisis'

Katja Bender, University of Applied Sciences Bonn-Rhein-Sieg: 'Crisis and social protection reforms in Indonesia and Vietnam'

Moderation

Karin Astrid Siegmann, ISS

See for more information:

Address ISS: Kortenaerkade 12, 2518 AX, Den Haag

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