Resource guide on the informal economy

"The term 'informal economy' refers to all economic activities by workers and economic units that are – in law or in practice – not covered or insufficiently covered by formal arrangements. Their activities are not included in the law, which means that they are operating outside the formal reach of the law; or they are not covered in practice, which means that – although they are operating within the formal reach of the law, the law is not applied or not enforced; or the law discourages compliance because it is inappropriate, burdensome, or imposes excessive costs."

Effect to be given to resolutions adopted by the International Labour Conference at its 90th Session (2002): (b) Resolution concerning decent work and the informal economy, Governing Body, 285th Session, Geneva, 2002 (pdf 103 KB)

On this page: Find information on the informal economy through Labordoc • International Labour Standards • Statistics • In the media • Key ILO documents • ILO databases • ILO links • External links • Photos • Videos

Find information on the informal economy through Labordoc

• ILO publications on the informal economy
• All publications on the informal economy available in Labordoc

International Labour Standards

Conventions

• C122 Employment Policy Convention, 1964
• C150 Labour Administration Convention, 1978

Recommendations

• R122 Employment Policy Recommendation, 1964
• R169 Employment Policy (Supplementary Provisions) Recommendation, 1984
• R189 Job Creation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Recommendation, 1998
• R193 Promotion of Cooperatives Recommendation, 2002
• R195 Human Resources Development Recommendation, 2004

Fundamental conventions

• C29 Forced Labour Convention, 1930
• C87 Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948
• C98 Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949
• C100 Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951
• C105 Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957
• C111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958
• C138 Minimum Age Convention, 1973
• C182 Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999

International labour standards can be found in the NORMLEX database.

Statistics

• ILO: Statistical update on employment in the informal economy, June 2011 (pdf 1.08 MB)
• World Bank: Shadow economies all over the world: new estimates for 162 countries from 1999 to 2007, 2010 (pdf 1.38 MB)


• You will find statistics on the topic in the following selection of publications.

Statistical methods

• Economic and Labour Market Analysis Department (EMP/ELM): KILM 8. Employment in the informal economy (pdf 120 KB)
• Measuring the informal economy : from employment in the formal sector to informal employment, 2004 (pdf 214 KB)
• Report of the Conference, 17th International Conference of Labour Statisticians, Geneva, 2003 (pdf 684 KB)

In the media

• Extending occupational safety and health to the informal economy, 17 June 2008
• Shining a light of hope: occupational safety and health in the informal economy, 9 July 2008
• In Asia, informal work shifts but remains massive, 9 August 2007