SSA Publication 13 11802. Second issue in the current four-volume series of Social Security Programs Throughout the World. This issue reports on the countries of Asia and the Pacific. Data reported are based on laws and regulations in force in July 2008. Contains information for each country on types of social security programs, types of mandatory systems for retirement income, contribution rates, and demographic and other statistics related to social security.

This publication highlights the principal features of social security programs in more than 170 countries: old-age, survivors, and disability; sickness and maternity; work injury; unemployment; and family allowances. A set of tables in each volume provides information for each country on the types of social security programs, types of mandatory systems for retirement income, contribution rates, and demographic and other statistics related to social security.

On 21-22 April 2010, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) organized a social protection conference in Manila. Interest in social protection has been growing since the global financial crisis heightened awareness of the many millions of people in Asia and the Pacific who live in poverty or vulnerable situations. Thus, policy makers are now keen to develop social protection systems that can assist people to both leave and stay out of poverty. The conference brought together people from ADB, its developing member countries, partner agencies, research institutes, and civil society organizations to exchange valuable experience and information and discuss ideas on how to develop social protection and expand it for the well-being of people in Asia and the Pacific. This book features selected papers from the conference that respond to the need for integrated and inclusive social protection to improve the quality of peoples' lives and livelihoods. Specific areas emphasized are health insurance, pensions, the informal sector, measures targeting children, and measuring and monitoring social protection.

On 28-30 September 2009, the Asian Development Bank,the governments of the People’s Republic of China and Viet Nam, and the ASEAN Secretariat jointly organized a high-level Asia-wide conference in Ha Noi on the social and environmental impact of the global economic crisis on Asia and the Pacific, especially on the poor and vulnerable. The conference also served as the 3rd China-ASEAN Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction and as the 4th ASEAN+3 High-Level Seminar on Poverty Reduction. It was supported by various development partners. This book features selected papers from the Ha Noi conference. It is designed with the needs of policy makers in mind, utilizing field, country, and thematic background studies to cover a large number of countries and cases. It is complemented by a website comprising more information about the conference, and all the papers presented there: www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2009/Poverty-Social-Development/default.asp.

Dramatic socio-economic transformations over the last two decades have brought social policy and social welfare issues to prominence in many East Asian societies. Since the 1990s and in response to national as well as global pressure, there have been substantial developments and reforms in social policy in the region but the development paths have been uneven. Until recently, comparative analysis of East Asian social policy tends to have focused on the established welfare state of Japan and the emerging welfare regimes of four Tiger Economies. Much of the recent debate indeed preceded Chinas re-emergence onto the world economy. In this context, this Handbook brings China more fully into the contemporary social policy debates in East Asia. Organised around five themes from welfare state developments, to theories and methodologies, to current social policy issues, the Handbook presents original research from leading specialists in the fields, and provides a fresh and updated perspective to the study of social policy. Providing a comparative international approach, this Handbook will appeal to academics, researchers and students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels working in the fields of social policy, as well as policy makers and practitioners who are interested in social policy lessons from other societies.

This publication provides a cross-national comparison of social security systems. It summarizes the five main social insurance programs: old age, disability, and survivors; sickness and maternity; work injury; unemployment; and family allowances.

Including education has profound consequences, undergirding the case for the productivity of welfare state programs and the explanation for why all rich nations have large welfare states, and identifying US welfare state leadership. From 1968 through 2006, the United States swung right politically and lost its lead in education and opportunity, failed to adopt universal health insurance and experienced the most rapid explosion of health care costs and economic inequality in the rich world. The American welfare state faces large challenges. Restoring its historical lead in education is the most important but requires investing large sums in education, beginning with universal pre-school and in complementary programs that aid children's development.