KIHASA has published the Global Social Security Review, No. 33, the Summer Volume. 

FEATURE ARTICLES

"Trends and Issues in Canada's Employment Insurance and Activation Policy" Kim, Dong-Heon, Dongguk University at WISE Campus

In this article I examine recent trends and issues in Canadian Employment Insurance (EI) and the measures implemented to promote labor market participation among those receiving EI benefits. Although EI is a federal program, it is designed so that its benefit eligibility criteria and the duration of eligibility vary with the region of residence. A distinctive feature of Canada’s EI program is that its benefits are linked to the regional unemployment rate. However, a social insurance scheme of such a design is liable to render “cross-subsidization” unfair across regions and industries. In this connection, the Canadian government implemented the activation policy in 2012, with the target population classified into three categories based on patterns of benefit receipt. With maternity and childcare leave programs making up a growing part of EI in Canada as elsewhere, calls are growing for moving beyond short-term makeshift measures toward a from-the-ground-up reform of EI financing.

"Basic Income Support and the Labor Market Integration Policy for Jobseekers in Germany" Koether, Eun Sook, Industriegewerkschaft Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt, IG BAU

The German Basic Income Support for Jobseekers is administered under its eponymous law (Book II of the Social Code), which came into effect on January 1, 2005. Implemented as part of active labor market policy, the support scheme aims to promote gainful employment among unemployed and low-income people in the working-age population (ages 15 to 67), providing them with tailored career guidance and job placement services and, with Arbeitslosengeld II replacing the unemployment allowance and social assistance of earlier days, also safeguarding recipients’ basic standard of living. Arbeitslosengeld II was renamed B？rgergeld in 2023, with eligibility requirements eased and the focus shifting toward supporting jobseekers and low-income earners in developing and improving their work competencies so that, over the medium-to-long-term, they can successfully integrate into the labor market and earn a living on their own.

"Reform of the Unemployment Insurance System in France" Kim, SangBae, Korea Worker Institute

The French reform of unemployment insurance, initiated in 2017, is ongoing as of 2025. Of the many changes made to the unemployment insurance system, I focus on the measures aimed at transitioning jobseekers into work. A subtle shift has taken place in the activation policy. The policy since its enactment in November 2019 has imposed stricter regulations on unemployment insurance and increased controls on jobseekers, while also expanding in scope and target population in 2023. Since then, the France Employment Agency (France Travail)―formerly the National Center for Employment (P？le Emploi)―has managed not only general jobseekers but also youth lacking job-ready competencies and recipients of Earned Income Supplement, helping these groups to participate in social activities through engagement contracts (contrat d’engagement).

"Unemployment Insurance System and Active Labor Market Policy in Sweden" Lee, Jayeon, Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Work, University of Gothenburg

The article concerns Sweden’s unemployment insurance and active labor market policy. A longstanding champion of the Ghent model, which incorporates voluntary unemployment insurance and state-led labor market interventions, Sweden had to make significant cuts to insurance coverage since the 1990s, in keeping with neoliberal restructuring and retrenchment. As a result, unemployment insurance has developed into a multi-pillar system that includes a supplemental income insurance plan. Consequently, the percentage of jobseeker’s allowance claimants has increased. Meanwhile, the focus of active labor market policy shifted away from labor market integration toward promoting job-seeking activities, gradually aligning with market mechanisms, with reform underway geared toward privatizing public employment services. Despite Sweden’s unemployment rate nearing 10 percent this year, there has been little discussion about protecting the unemployed or improving active market policies. The potential impact of these ongoing changes on the protection and long-term labor market integration of unemployed individuals warrants further attention.

ISSUE ANALYSIS

"Current Status and Implications of Vocational Rehabilitation for People with Disabilities in Germany" Min, Seri, Humbolt Universitat zu Berlin

Article 27 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states that disabled individuals have “the right to the opportunity to gain a living by work freely chosen or accepted in a labor market and work environment that is open and inclusive.” Conforming to this provision, Korea has implemented a variety of vocational rehabilitation policies aimed at helping individuals with disabilities enter the general labor market. However, with facilities still scarce and available programs limited, the number of disabled persons benefiting from vocational rehabilitation remains low. Meanwhile, Germany, where vocational rehabilitation for disabled persons has been in place far longer than in Korea, has recently entered upon revamping the existing system, with a view to advancing social integration and mitigating the problem of labor shortages. This article explores the features and details of the German vocational training system for disabled persons and discusses their implications for Korea.

"Policy and Cases of Child-Friendly Cities in Germany" Hong, Moonki, Wanju County Office

In this article, I examine German cases of support for the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative and discuss their significance for policymaking in Korea. These cases include child-friendly policies implemented by German federal, state, and local governments, as well as by private organizations. The implications drawn for Korea can be summarized in three key points. First, the related legal frameworks must be amended to ensure continued expert support from the central government and metropolitan municipalities, and to establish a system for service delivery. Second, it is essential to put together manuals and skilled human resources to ensure the participation of children themselves in urban planning and related projects. Third, for the child-friendly city policies to prove effective, they require continuous monitoring and assessment.

"Health and Aged Care Services in Rural and Remote Australia" Kang, Eunna, KIHASA

Expansive in territory and relatively sparse in population, Australia has long faced disparities in healthcare access, service use, and quality of life between urban cities and remote rural areas. To address these issues, the Australian government has helped develop geographical classification systems like the ASGS-RA and the Monash Model and put them to use in determining the eligibility, scope, and levels of government support. Various policy instruments have been employed, including financial support, IT-assisted remote services, and integrated healthcare, caregiving, and social services, all aimed at better assisting areas that lack infrastructure and human resources. Australia’s geographical classification systems, tailored support policy, and service provision methods could offer valuable lessons for Korea―where the circumstances are such that with populations declining in an increasing number of localities, concerns are rising over the potential extinction of non-urban areas―to improve access to health and caregiving services for older adults and ensure a standard quality of life for all residents throughout the country.

"A Review of International Surveys on Homeless Women" Lee, Chaeyoon, School of Social Welfare, Yonsei University & Lim, Deokyoung, KIHASA

In Korea, following the implementation in 2011 of the Act on Support for Welfare and Self-Reliance of the Homeless, regular surveys have been conducted to capture the living conditions of homeless people, but with concerns persisting about the under-sampling of women. This article reviews surveys conducted in the UK, Canada, and the US on homeless women and draws lessons for policymaking in Korea. The UK case involves a census aimed at measuring the specific circumstances of women sleeping rough. The Canadian survey is of the state of women’s housing and homelessness. The example from the US is a survey of the needs of homeless women in Los Angeles. These surveys, while varying in approach depending on the characteristics and policy contexts of each country, share the common goal of bringing visibility to homeless women and informing policymakers of their needs. The emphasis throughout is on the need for linking policy interventions with more flexible approaches that go beyond traditional survey methods to reveal the realities faced by homeless women.

GLOBAL SOCIAL SECURITY TRENDS

• ■"Critical Medicines Initiative of European Union," Park, Sylvia, KIHASA
  
  

• ■"Current Status and Issues of Family Care Leave Policy in France," Im, Bakne, Universitty Paris 7
  
  

• ■"The Trump Administrations's Second Term and the Direction of US Social Policy with Special Reference to the Medicaid Reduction Plan," Kim, Tae Kuen, Adelphi University