Asia & the Pacific

China’s Neglected Informal Economy: Reality and TheoryModern China

Abstract: The informal economy—defined as workers who have no security of employment, receive few or no benefits, and are often unprotected...

Growth and Inequality in the Distribution of India’s Consumption Expenditure: 1983 to 2009-10Economic and Political Weekly

This paper undertakes an assessment of the evolution of inequality in the distribution of consumption expenditure in India over the last...

Multiple Shocks and Slum Household Economies in South IndiaEconomy and Society

This research uses a fresh perspective to trace the impact of multiple economic, financial and environmental shocks on slum-dwellers in the...

Africa’s World Trade: Informal Economies and Globalization from Below.

Are Africa’s world markets really contributing to development across the continent for individuals, nations and regions? This is the...

Urban Employment in India: Recent Trends and Patterns

Working Paper 7 was first published in 2011 and was updated in 2014. This paper explores trends in urban employment in India, with a focus...

Legal and Policy Tools to Meet Informal Workers Demands: Lessons from India

This brief draws on a two-year Indian study detailing how legal and policy tools have been used or can be used to address the diverse concerns...

City Report – Informal Economy Monitoring Study: Waste Pickers in Pune, India

Countdown 2015: an assessment of basic provision to migrant families in the urban slums of Ludhiana, North India

This special issue on urban livelihoods was developed in collaboration with WIEGO.  

Promoting Decent Work for Domestic Workers: Lessons From Five Countries

Labour Policy 2010