Uruguay: Recent reforms to unemployment insurance

In 2008, on the basis of discussions held in the framework of the National Dialogue on Social Security (Diálogo Nacional sobre Seguridad Social - DNSS), important amendments were made to the unemployment insurance and pension regimes. In the case of the former, said amendments strengthen its counter-cyclical character by allowing the duration of the subsidy to be extended in the event of economic recession in the country, while simultaneously improving its focus on particular segments, such as the over-fi fty age group. Although such changes took place in the period prior to the advent of global economic crisis, they can nevertheless show their usefulness to face the present situation, basically by providing greater fl exibility to the above institutions.