ILO DOCUMENTS >>

ILO. Women and men in the informal economy: A statistical picture. ILO, Geneva. Employment sector. 2002

 

The purpose of this report is to provide a statistical picture, using the available data, of the informal economy worldwide. The statistics and indicators presented in this book are designed to give a wide audience of users a better understanding of the size, components and characteristics of the informal economy. Such information is essential in formulating policies and programmes at national and international levels to promote decent conditions of work as well as contribute to poverty eradication.

The statistics in the report were analysed and presented according to a new conceptual framework for the informal economy proposed in the report on Decent Work and the Informal Economy for general discussion at the 90th Session of the International Labour Conference, Geneva June 2002. The resulting analysis shows the feasibility and usefulness of the framework as a basis for the development of statistics and for policy analysis.

Notably, in the three countries featured as case studies, the main elements in the framework were already being implemented in their most recent s u r veys. How eve r, the report also clearly shows that much still needs to be done to develop and harmonise statistics on all components of employment in the informal economy.

Women and Men in the Informal Economy was written by a team of consultants working with the Task Force and team members of the International Labour Office responsible for preparation of the report on Decent Work and the Informal Economy. The co-authors of the report and co-directors of the project that produced it were Martha Chen, Harvard University, and Joann Vanek, recently retired from the United Nations Statistics Division. Jacques Charmes, University of Versailles, prepared the international data on employment in and contribution of the informal economy. Margarita Guerrero, United Nations Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific, provided statistical advice in all aspects of the project including table design and preparation of the final tables. Françoise Carré, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and Joaquín Herranz, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, prepared the report on non-standard work in developed countries. The country case studies were prepared by Debbie Budlender, the Community Agency for Social Enquiry, and Peter Buwembo and Nozipho Shabala, Statistics South Africa (South Africa ); Rodrigo Negrete, National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Information and Mercedes Pedrero, National Autonomous University of Mexico (Mexico) ; and Jeemol Unni, Gujarat Institute of Development Research (India). Technical advice was also provided by Richard Anker, Ralf Hussmanns, Eivind Hoffmann and Adriana Mata of the ILO and Grace Bediako of the United Nations Statistics Division. Production assistance was provided by Joanna Jackson, ILO, and Marais Canali, Harvard University ; and administrative assistance was provided by Sasithorn Santiwongsakul, ILO.

This report was prepared under the supervision of Lin Lean Lim and funded by the Gender Promotion Programme (GENPROM).

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Main Findings

The Informal Economy
Informal workers
The Informal Sector
The Informal Economy
Why Improve Statistics on the Informal Economy ?
User-Producer Collaboration to Improve Statistics on the Informal Economy

Statistics on the Informal Economy
Introduction
Developing Countries
Informal Employment
Self-employment
Informal Sector and Gross Domestic Product
The Informal Economy in Developed Countries
Part-time Work
Temporary Employment
Self-employment

Illustrative Case Studies
Country Case studies
India
Mexico
South Africa
Sub-Group Case Studies
Home-Based Work
Street Vendors

Improved Statistics for Policy Making
Why are statistics crucial ?
Objectives for Future Work
Plan of Action

Annexes

 

Complete pdf document: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/gems/download/women.pdf

 

 

Centro Interamericano para el Desarrollo del Conocimiento en la Formación Profesional (OIT/Cinterfor)
Avda. Uruguay 1238 - Montevideo - Uruguay - Tel: (5982) 908 6023 - 902 0557 - 908 0545 - Fax: (5982) 902 1305
  webmaster@cinterfor.org.uy

Copyright © 1996-2008 Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT) - Descargo de responsabilidad