The gains from the transition in post-communist Russia were captured by the new managerial class, which won rents from the state in the form of privatized enterprises, state subsidies, credits, and opportunities for tax evasion. Those rents reduced state revenues that could have supported social...

This summary report is the culmination of a comprehensive, more than a year-long, collaboration between the World Bank, Fiji Department of Social Welfare (DSW), Fiji Islands Bureau of Statistics (FIBOS) and AusAID. It reflects various activities undertaken under the work program that was agreed...

An effective and equitable social protection system can help Kosovo to promote human capital, foster productivity, and reduce poverty. Since its independence in 2008, the country has made considerable socioeconomic progress, benefiting from the support of the international community and its own...

Bosnia and Herzegovina faces significant labor market challenges. While recovering from the COVID-19 crisis, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is struggling with persistent unemployment and a predicted rise in poverty. To further reduce the incidence of poverty, measures to create more job...

Globalization, demographic trends, the green transition, and technological innovations are transforming labor markets in Europe and Central Asia, altering their institutional and contractual arrangements, and creating disparities and vulnerabilities in the labor force. Systemic risks - economic,...

The objective of this situational analysis is to provide a brief assessment of Serbia's social protection system. The situational analysis identifies how Serbia's social protection system performs and outlines areas for reform. In this note, social protection refers to: (i) social assistance,...