About the Informal Economy
Decent Work for Domestic Workers. International Labour Conference, 1-17 June 2010
The historic first discussion on Decent Work for Domestic Workers is on the agenda of the 99th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) which begins in Geneva on 2nd June 2010.
This will be followed by a second discussion in 2011, where we anticipate that an ILO Convention supplemented by a Recommendation will be adopted.
photo: Mary Beth Graves
IMPACT OF THE GLOBAL RECESSION ON THE WORKING POOR IN THE INFORMAL ECONOMY
“More and more workers are competing for their sliver of a shrinking informal economy pie”
The global financial crisis has precipitated a global economic recession with significant impacts on employment – and workers - around the world. Policy makers and the media have begun to focus on the employment effects of the global crisis. But the attention is largely on rising unemployment among formal salaried workers.
Relatively little attention is paid to whether informal firms and informal workers are affected by the crisis, including the impact of new entrants into the informal economy. This is because there is a common misconception that the informal economy serves as a cushion for formal workers who lose their jobs. While it is the case that employment in the informal economy tends to expand during economic downturns, this does not mean that those working in the informal economy necessarily thrive. In fact, economic downturns often affect the informal economy in the same ways as they affect the formal economy.
Informal Economy News & Events »
Read current news about the informal economy from around the world.
Definitions and Theories »
At present, there is renewed interest in informal work arrangements or informal labour markets. This current interest stems from the fact that informal work arrangements have not only persisted and expanded but have also emerged in new guises and unexpected places.
Causes and Consequences »
... many economists also recognize that informal employment tends to expand during economic crises or downturns, suggesting that necessity - in addition to choice - drives informality...
Policy Debates and Responses »
Linked to the theoretical debates on the informal economy is a policy debate on whether and how governments should regulate the informal economy.
Events »
Find out about upcoming events and past events from around the world.
Videos covering the Informal Economy »
We have started collecting videos we have found on the Internet that focus on the informal economy.