Informal Economy and Atypical Forms of Employment
3 January 2012
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.
ACTRAV supports trade union efforts to prevent normalization, to promote policies that create decent formal economy jobs and to organize unprotected workers.
ACTRAV supports trade union efforts to prevent normalization, to promote policies that create decent formal economy jobs and to organize unprotected workers.
Related content
Decent Work and the informal economy
Decent Work and the informal economy
Beyond survival - Organizing the informal economy
Beyond survival - Organizing the informal economy
Unprotected labour: What role for unions in the informal economy?
Unprotected labour: What role for unions in the informal economy?
Background document - The informal economy: enabling transition to formalization
Background document - The informal economy: enabling transition to formalization
R204 - Recommendation concerning the transition from the informal to the formal Economy
International labour standards
R204 - Recommendation concerning the transition from the informal to the formal Economy
New ILO Standard on the informal economy: What are the challenges and opportunities for Unions?
Informal Economy
New ILO Standard on the informal economy: What are the challenges and opportunities for Unions?