Informal economy in Asia and the Pacific

In countries with a rapidly growing population or movement to the cities, the informal economy tends to absorb most of the expanding labour force in the urban areas. By 2015 the explosive growth of many Asian countries’ urban populations and the increase in service-sector employment will combine to significantly expand the urban informal economy in Asia. Social and economic challenges are likely to follow, notably in countries where development is not keeping pace with urban population growth.

The ILO has recently undertaken a range of projects related to informal employment, such as local economic development, support for informal workers, training and extension of social protection.