All publications: informal employment + informal enterprises + informal economy

Advancing cooperation among women workers in the informal economy: The SEWA way

This report aims to provide an understanding of the challenges and opportunities for cooperatives and other SSE units in empowering women workers in the informal economy, with a specific focus on SEWA’s experience. It is based on individual...

Report

Care work and care jobs for the future of decent work

This report takes a comprehensive look at unpaid and paid care work and its relationship with the changing world of work. A key focus is the persistent gender inequalities in households and the labour market, which are inextricably linked with care...

Research Department Working Paper n°31

Spotlight on sexual violence and harassment in commercial agriculture: Lower and middle income countries

Sexual violence and harassment among commercial agricultural workers is widespread, perhaps even pervasive, throughout the world. This paper summarizes information from a synthesis of research conducted on sexual violence and harassment in four...

Women and men in the informal economy: A statistical picture. Third edition

This publication provides for the first time comparable estimates on the size of the informal economy and a statistical profile of informality in all its diversity at the global and regional levels.

Report

Cooperatives meeting informal economy workers' child care needs

Cooperatives set up and run by workers in the informal economy are among the solutions in meeting women workers’ care needs, while also helping protect their labour rights. This report complements the ILO's previous studies with cases from Brazil,...

A Guide on Labour Inspection Intervention in the Informal Economy - A participatory method

The informal economy comprises more than half of the global labour force and more than 90% of micro and small enterprises worldwide. It encompasses a huge diversity of situations, employers and workers, most of them operating out of survival needs,...

Conditions of Work and Employment Series No. 95

Conceptualizing the role of intermediaries in formalizing domestic work

Summary report - Advancing cooperation among women workers in the informal economy: The SEWA way

This is a summary of the report “Advancing cooperation among women workers in the informal economy: The SEWA way” which aims to provide an understanding of the challenges and opportunities for cooperatives and other SSE enterprises in empowering...

Informality and Economic Units in the Caribbean

This Study seeks to synthesize four national studies on Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Saint Lucia to determine the reasons for economic units to function informally and the frequency of informal economic units. It is intended to draw some general...

Research note

Wages and working conditions in and out of global supply chains: A comparative empirical review

This literature review is intended to contribute to the debate on global supply chains by providing evidence on wages and working conditions in global supply chains (e.g. export-oriented sectors) compared to alternative employment options in the...

Bangladesh

Achievements of the Bangladesh Skills for Employment and Productivity (B-SEP) Project

This publication captures the key achievements of the B-SEP project to date as it works to create a stronger foundation upon which Bangladesh can build the skilled workforce it needs for the future.

Gender and the informal economy: Key challenges and policy response

EMPLOYMENT Working Paper No. 236

Dependent self-employment: Trends, challenges and policy responses in the EU

EMPLOYMENT Working Paper No. 228

Towards an India wage report

The level of wages are of fundamental importance for the living standards of wage earners and their families. The report brings together the various aspects of the wage system in India and analyses issues based on unit level data.

Jobs and skills mismatch in the informal economy

Assessement report on necessary amendments of the legal framework regarding inspections in agriculture and Recommendations for reforms in...

Undeclared Work Has Negative Consequences For All

Research Department Working Paper n°20

Active labour market programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean: Evidence from a meta analysis

This paper presents a systematic collection and assessment of impact evaluations of active labour market programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean

Work at home

A Snapshot - Pakistan’s hidden workers - Wages and conditions of home-based workers and the informal economy

This is a snapshot of the report that sets out the findings of research carried out between May and December 2016 in two locations in Karachi looking at Pakistan’s informal economy and the supply chains existing within the textile and garment...

DOLE’s Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program: Philippines