All news: informal employment + informal enterprises + informal economy

COOP Champions

Özge Berber-Agtaş, ILO Office for Turkey in Ankara

COOP Champions features ILO colleagues from around the world working on cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy enterprises. It highlights their contributions, and shares highlights of their experiences, current work, and future...

Labour Inspection

Effective communication training for labour inspectors in Ukraine

New techniques to promote transition to formal employment.

ILO celebrates the International Day of Cooperatives by focusing on workers in the informal economy

The United Nations’ International Day of Cooperatives (IDC) is held annually on the first Saturday of July. For this occasion, the ILO organised an event, recognizing the theme of the 2017 IDC, “cooperatives leave no one behind”, with a focus on the...

ILO response to Syrian refugee crisis

Syrian refugees in Jordan welcome work permits, but challenges persist

New ILO study, prepared in collaboration with UNHCR, looks at the impact of work permits provided to Syrian refugees in Jordan that has resulted in thousands of them formally joining the Jordanian workforce.

Domestic workers in Trinidad and Tobago develop a business plan for their cooperative

On May 12 to 13, the ILO organised a workshop with domestic workers and their union in Trinidad and Tobago to develop a business plan for their cooperative. The workshop used the C-BED methodology, a low cost, action-based and participatory group...

Our impact, their voices

Telling serious things with humour: Mobile theater in Tajikistan campaigns against the informal economy

Two years ago the International Labour Conference adopted the Recommendation concerning the transition from the informal to the formal economy (No.204). Since then a global campaign has started in different parts of the world to formalize the...

Questions and Answers

ILO meeting to focus on jobs and skills mismatch

ILO News talked to Paul Comyn, Senior Vocational Skills and Development Specialist in the ILO’s SKILLS branch, about the key focuses of the first annual International Conference on Jobs and Skills Mismatch from 11-12 May in Geneva.

ILO response to Syria refugee crisis

ILO online learning programme introduces Syrian refugees to their workplace rights in Jordan

The programme is part of on-going efforts by the ILO to help formalize the work of Syrian refugees in Jordan.

PRUEBA 2 Call for case studies of inter-sectoral collaboration on HIV and climate change in the context of decent work

ILO is preparing an issue brief exploring the role of a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies and welcomes written submissions as contribution towards the body of knowledge on the relationships between climate...

New project website - Supporting transition from the informal to formal economy and reducing undeclared work in Greece

In Greece, undeclared work remains a significant feature of the economy, despite measures taken in recent years to address the issue.

How social protection can facilitate formalization in the Caribbean

Workshop participants to discuss the ILO’s strategies, policies and tools for the extension of social protection and formalization

Non-standard forms of employment – A feature of the contemporary world of work also in the Caribbean

Building on guidance from international labour standards and national practices, the Report highlights policy recommendations to address decent work deficits.

10th ILO Caribbean Minister of Labour Meeting adopts its Conclusions

ILO Director-General, in his closing remarks, congratulated the Meeting on realizing its objectives and defining a clear set of priorities to be achieved.

ILO opens 10th Meeting of Caribbean Ministers of Labour in Jamaica – Realizing Decent Work under the 2030 Agenda

The Meeting, held every two years, provides participants the opportunity to discuss labour issues that are of mutual concern to the Caribbean region.

Enhancing entrepreneurship skills in Cambodian cooperatives

Farmer cooperatives in Cambodia are increasingly recognized as robust organizations which serve to develop agricultural value chains, improve agri-business marketing, address farmer’s concerns and engage in national policy dialogues.

No call to go unanswered – A unique initiative for domestic workers

A toll free number has been piloted to record grievances among domestic workers. This unique platform enables a two-way communication between domestic workers and their representative organizations.

ILO response to Syria refugee crisis

Certificates for Jordanians and Syrians signal important step in response to Syria refugee crisis

Certificates awarded to participants for completing ILO-supported programme designed to boost job prospects for refugees and host communities in construction sector.

Step forward for waste pickers in Turkey

A workshop “Understanding the Role of Waste Pickers and their Cooperatives in Waste Management and Recycling”, organized by the ILO and the Ministry of Customs and Trade was held in Ankara, Turkey, on 20-21 December.

A passion, mission - organizing waste pickers.

During “The Potential of Cooperatives & the Role of Waste Pickers in the Recycling Sector” workshop in Ankara, Turkey, on 20-21 December 2016, ILO COOP spoke to Manuel Mateu an Engineer from the Movement of Excluded Workers (MTE) in Argentina, about...

The dreams and reality of a waste picker

During “The Potential of Cooperatives & the Role of Waste Pickers in the Recycling Sector” workshop in Ankara, Turkey, on 20-21 December 2016, ILO COOP spoke to Fehmi Celikok, a waste picker from Turkey, about his life as a waste picker