Building resilience for the future of work and the post COVID-19: Bolstering Unemployment Insurance and Labour Market Policy Development in Myanmar (BUILD)

Unemployment protection schemes are key to ensure income security for workers, while alleviating the financial burden of enterprises. In particular, measures such as partial unemployment benefits that support enterprises’ in retaining their workers, have shown to not only help containing the rise in unemployment and the number of (full) unemployment recipients, but also to help to keep experienced workers so that employers can quickly start their operations again when there are first signs of recovery. The 2012 Social Security Law covers unemployment protection. However, the unemployment social insurance scheme is as of yet not implemented and hence is not funded (future contributions rates are stipulated at 2% of workers’ salaries paid in equal parts by employers and workers). Workers are entitled to severance pay, in accordance with Ministry of Labour’s Directive number 84/2015. Amount varies from ½ month to 13 months, depending on the number of years or service (from 6 months to 25 years). The Project will focus on creating conditions to implement the unemployment insurance scheme foreseen under the 2012 Social Security Law and to establish linkages with active labour market policies (ALMPs). It will conduct a series of policy research activities; and facilitate policy dialogues and capacity building based on knowledge and evidence produced through a number of research activities. In addition, it will develop activities to increase stakeholders’ understanding and awareness of the importance of social protection, in particular unemployment insurance, through the organization of knowledge sharing events.

Project symbol

MMR/21/01/JPN

Admin unit

ILO-Yangon

Start date

17/03/2021

End date

31/12/2022

Total allocation

623601

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

623601

Development Partners

Japan, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Country/Countries

Myanmar

Outcomes

Outcome 8: Comprehensive and sustainable social protection for all