- Subtitle: WIEGO Statistical Brief No 15
Statistical Brief 15 discusses the importance and relevance of the definition of informal employment to the economies of developed countries and to studying trends in the structure of employment across all countries. It then reviews the criteria in the International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) guidelines for measuring informal employment (IE).
The next section explores aspects of the definition of informal employment that are most relevant to developed countries and which indicators in the Quality of Employment (Q of E) framework provide an indication of informal employment in developed countries, particularly Europe.
The brief then specifies two approaches using the existing and proposed Q of E indicators—one based on employment arrangements and the other on social protection—to measure informal employment. A final section illustrates a way to link the two approaches and in so doing provides a way for selected Q of E indicators to be used to describe informal employment and, more broadly, the structure of employment.
This brief is part of the WIEGO Publication Series.