Unemployment and Social Security

The world economy has increasingly felt the effects of the crisis. Governments have acknowledged the problems, and have recognized that unemployment is the most risky consequence of the downturn. While governments are taking measures to address the economic problems it is necessary to evaluate what can be done to protect the well being of their populations through the development and management improvement of unemployment programs. The CISS has dealt with these two topics in its annual reports.

The 2007 Annual Report on Social Security in the Americas weighed the phenomenon of globalization, the main debates around it, the form in which international trade negotiations have evolved, and the degree to which they affect social protection. This is an important issue for social security institutions, as these changes may affect households’ well-being. One of the greatest concerns of countries is the possibility that large groups of people might lose their jobs due to the globalization process, especially when unemployment becomes a long-term problem. Chapter V of the report analyzes the development of unemployment programs as tools of social security to protect the population.

The 2008 Annual Report on Social Security in the Americas provides the best practices in the processes management of social programs. Chapter VIII of the report analyzes the processes of the unemployment insurance and the way in which these processes can be improved to guarantee that unemployment benefits programs are optimally delivered.