Labor, taxation and social welfare policies in countries around Europe and Central Asia must be brought into the 21st century to tackle rising inequality between groups and help workers face increased uncertainty, a new World Bank study has said.

Towards a New Social Contract report calls for a fundamental rethinking of policies to ease the growing divide between those who benefit from new economic opportunities and those who are left behind in an ever-more flexible economy, in a vary of countries, including Turkey, the Bank said in a statement on Sept. 25.

“Although countries in the Europe and Central Asia region have vast experience with social welfare institutions and programs, these were designed for a different economic environment and they no longer provide the same benefits for citizens as before,” said Cyril Muller, World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia.

More: Social policies must be upgraded to address rising inequality in Turkey: World Bank