All news: informal employment + informal enterprises + informal economy

Press release

Punjab pilots employment contracts for domestic workers through landmark agreement

Government, employers and workers have agreed to pilot employment contracts for domestic workers in Punjab, marking an important step towards formalizing domestic work and strengthening labour protections.

Productivity ecosystems for decent work

Viet Nam builds momentum for policy reform to strengthen support for SMEs and household businesses

Recommendations from a multi-stakeholder consultation will inform reforms to the SME support framework, helping businesses become more productive while creating better jobs and more inclusive economic opportunities.

Op-ed

Is every child working on the street a victim of child labour?

Tendy Gunawan, ILO Rural Development TVET Officer in Timor-Leste, highlights a question that is often asked whenever people see children selling snacks, tissues or other items on the streets of Dili. This opinion editorial was published by Tatoli,...

World Day Against Child Labour

30,000 voices, one goal: Ending child labour in Indonesia through the power of football

Through a landmark partnership, the ILO and PSSI are showing child labour the red card and championing every child’s right to learn, play and thrive in Indonesia.

Story of change

Fear disappears when we are not alone: Komal Devi’s journey of empowerment

Supported by the ILO and the Government of Japan, domestic workers in India’s Bihar State are organizing to strengthen their rights, representation and social protection.

Dignity at work, inside every home: Unionising Bihar’s domestic workers

Domestic workers in Bihar, supported by the ILO’s PRS Project funded by Japan, have organized and advocated for better working conditions. In this interview, Chandra Prakash Singh, National Vice-President of the Indian National Trade Union Congress...

Voices from ILO PROSPECTS

A grant, a business plan and 300 chickens: how ILO-supported competition helps poultry farmer grow in Ethiopia

Through entrepreneurship training and access to finance under the PROSPECTS programme, Hussien Saleman has expanded Al Nur Poultry Farm, created jobs for young people and strengthened local supply chains in Ethiopia’s Somali Region.

News

National dialogue in Uganda discusses decent work in the platform economy

With support from the ILO PROSPECTS programme, the National Organisation of Trade Unions convened a national dialogue in Kampala to strengthen workers’ representation and support social dialogue on decent work in the platform economy.

Productivity ecosystems for decent work

Viet Nam takes a major step toward sustainable enterprise development with new national programme

With technical contributions from the ILO, the Government of Viet Nam has approved a landmark national programme to advance sustainable business practices across the country's private sector for the period 2026–2030.

Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises

Philippines prepares mobile financial education rollout for small businesses

The International Labour Organization and its partners are developing a mobile learning and behavioural nudge system to help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) manage digital borrowing, avoid fraud and strengthen financial...

Article

ILO-supported skills recognition initiative in Uganda opens pathways to decent work for refugees and host communities

An ILO-supported initiative in Uganda is helping refugees and host community members transform informally acquired skills into nationally recognized qualifications, improving access to employment, enterprise opportunities and economic inclusion.

Press release

First training of trainers’ workshop on cooperatives held in Pakistan

The training brought together stakeholders to promote cooperative models that can improve livelihoods and working conditions for informal waste pickers.

National dialogue calls for stronger protections and zero fatalities in sanitation work in India

Government representatives, trade unions, civil society organisations, international agencies and researchers came together for a national dialogue to advance efforts towards safer and more dignified working conditions for sanitation workers in...

ILOSTAT blog

Decent work reality check: Informality is everywhere

Granular data confirm that informality is a systemic feature of labour markets across sectors and is strongly associated with employment vulnerability.

Formalization of the Informal Economy Project (Phase II)

ILO supports Mongolia to establish national database for self-employed workers

The ILO and the National Statistics Office of Mongolia (NSO) reviewed progress on establishing a pilot integrated database of self-employed workers, a joint e-formalization initiative aimed at providing crucial statistical data for policymakers to...

Press Release

Nepal moves towards a world of work free from violence and harassment and stronger protections for domestic workers

Nepal is advancing concrete steps toward safer, inclusive and violence and harassment -free workplaces, with new legal reform efforts set to strengthen protections for workers across the country, especially women and those in vulnerable and informal...

Q&A

Informality, productivity and digital platforms: understanding a persistent challenge

Labour informality remains one of the main challenges in the world of work in Latin America and the Caribbean. This interview explores why it is a multi-causal and multidimensional phenomenon, what responses have proven most effective, and how...

Digital wages

Mozambique moves forward on digital wage payments as ILO and Vodacom M-Pesa join forces

Mozambique is advancing digital wage payments through a new ILO and Vodacom M-Pesa partnership to promote financial inclusion and protect vulnerable workers.

Productivity ecosystems for decent work

Viet Nam strengthens capacity of SME support organizations to drive productivity and decent work through digital and green transformation

A series of five training courses strengthened the capacity of SME support organizations in northern Viet Nam to help enterprises improve productivity through digital and green transformation while promoting decent work.

Cooperatives create new livelihood pathways for informal workers in India

A cooperative approach to enterprise development could unlock opportunities and deliver decent work, particularly in the care sector in Bihar, India.