Argentina’s National Social Security Administration (ANSES) will lift pensions, family allowances and the universal child benefit by 1.89% in August 2026, directly tracking the June consumer-price index. The minimum pension moves to about 419,800 pesos, supplemented by a frozen 70,000-peso bonus for the lowest-income retirees. Yet the strain on the public purse is visible elsewhere: the budget for unemployment insurance has surged 756% since 2023 as the claimant count hit 116,641 in June – the highest since the pandemic – driven by a loss of 216,000 registered private-sector jobs over the same period.

Russia’s Social Fund reports that the average pension for non-working retirees reached 25,838 rubles in June, 1,800 rubles higher than a year ago. A further recalcualtion in August will deliver a 17.3% increase for certain categories, while a 6.8% indexation of state social pensions was applied in April. In Iran, social-security payments for July were deposited without settling arrears for the first two months of the Persian year, leaving pensioners uncertain about the timing of make-up payments.

German wage data for 2025 highlight uneven progress. The median gross monthly salary of full-time employees rose €204 to €4,217, but the gender pay gap for full-timers stands at 7.7%, with men earning a median €309 more. Foreign nationals earn roughly €1,038 less than Germans, partly reflecting sectoral concentration. Branches such as finance pay a median €6,140, while personal care sits at €2,270. Low-wage sectors – including care, cleaning and agriculture – have nonetheless registered some of the strongest wage growth since 2018, whereas teachers’ pay rose only 10%.

Spain has broadened a gender-linked pension supplement after a Supreme Court ruling extended eligibility to men. The top-up, worth €36.90 per child per month, compensates for the career impact of child-rearing and now reaches nearly one million pensions. The policy underscores a European approach that uses social-security design to address labour-market inequalities.

In the United States, a quirk of the calendar means Supplemental Security Income recipients will see their August payment arrive on 31 July, since 1 August falls on a Saturday. The next factual milestones to watch are the August inflation print in Argentina, upon which September’s benefit increase will be calculated, and the further recalibration of pensions in Russia as the state grapples with the cost of its social promises.