Social inclusion: bridging social protection and employment

policies

CREATING JOBS FOR EQUITY AND PROSPERITY REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON EMPLOYMENT

AND SOCIAL INCLUSION IN SOUTH EAST EUROPE AND TURKEY

16-17 APRIL 2015, SKOPJE

Social protection legacies and trends•Broadly universal in theory - in practice gaps in access,

coverage, adequacy and quality •SP expenditures – 18-25% of GDP; but lion’s share for

pensions and/or ‘captured’ by specific interest groups (war veterans and their families)•0,5-2 % of GDP spent on social assistance/social

protection of last resort: low coverage and lack of adequacy•Appropriate social services slow to develop in face of

new risks and restricted finance

EU poverty and exclusion measurement: exposing weaknesses

Country At risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE)

At risk of poverty after social transfers

Groups at risk of poverty- age- gender- household type- Labour market status

FRY Macedonia 50.9 % 27.1 % Children 43 %Women 27,5 %HH 2 adults 3+ children 57%Unemployed 48,7%

Serbia 44.3% 24.6 % Children 30%Women 24,3%HH, 2 adults 3+ children 44%Unemployed 48,7%

Croatia 32.3% 20.5 % Older than 65 - 30,4%Women 21, 6%1 person HH, women 42,7%Unemployed 42. 9%

Drivers of social exclusionSpecific local conditions

Social exclusion status

Individual characteristics

interact with

in context of

…and result in

Structures and institutions; values and behavior patterns; policiesDrivers are external factors, influenced by legacies, that either speed up or slow down the process of individual vulnerabilities turning into social exclusion

(social exclusion risk factors), like poor education, disability, minority status

Predominant industry, single or multiple employment opportunities, local infrastructures, history of violent conflict or environmental disaster

of the individual in three dimensions—exclusion from economic life, social services, and civic and social participation

Social Exclusion Chain

Dimensions of Social Exclusionat the South-East Europe

Economic lifelabour, financial and housing markets

Social Services: Participationin civic and social life and networks

Exclusion from employment

• Exclusion from (formal) employment: lack of income and related insurance based benefits, cut off from social interactions and networks• Working poor and informality• Different impact on women and men

Exclusion from social services

• The role of SP and social services: • to avoid risks of exclusion• to manage/cushion the effects of risks• To provide a springbaord back to inclusion• Baskets of cash and care• Social work practice, case management, tailored and integrated services

Social inclusion policy

• Transformative role of social inclusion:• Design and promotion of innovative social services and

advocacy for inclusive and integrated services• Supporting groups, and re-shaping public services,

policies and legislation• Developing social planning (aligning needs and services):

area based approaches• Achieving optimal welfare mix of providers• Anti-discrimination and rights based approahces

Social inclusion interventions: new focus on long term unemployed

Renewed attempt by the EC to promote integrated approach to make labour markets inclusive«Preventing and reducing long-term unemployment: through improved efficiency of public employment services, the effectiveness of activation and make work pay measures, and by investing in human capital as well as tailor-made active labour markets policies and integrated social services.»Council Conclusions on "2015 Annual Growth Survey and Joint Employment Report" and on "Inclusive labour markets" (9 March 2015)

Call for social casework !?

To consider:• Importance of global, regional and sub-regional

social policies• Social Protection Floor:

Minimum income schemes; Child benefits; Social pensions; Basket of cash and social services; integrated and tailored services

Evidence-base for policy choices:• EU – SILC as a starting point; but more

dissagregation based on national assessments of vulnerability, reselience and geographical areas

• Social impact assessment and policy evaluations: especially of ALMPs

Jasmina. papa@undp.orgThank you for attention