What's new

  1. Is e-formalization possible in Peru?

    02 June 2023

  2. Statistical Brief - Apprentices in countries with large informal economies

    31 May 2023

    This statistical brief compares country-level data on apprenticeships with an interest in countries with large informal economies. It investigates the possibilities and limitations of current labour force statistics to provide a snapshot on apprenticeships, with data compiled by the ILO from 27 countries (26 African and 1 South Asian countries). It also provides key findings and recommendations based on the comparative analysis.

  3. Operationalizing the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus through Decent Work

    During the Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development (15-17 May 2023), the Swedish International Development cooperation Agency (Sida) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) organize a roundtable discussion on the role of decent work across the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus, in which also the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) participate.

Videos

  1. The impact of COVID-19 on the informal economy

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Informal economy

The informal economy comprises more than half of the global labour force and more than 90% of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) worldwide. Informality is an important characteristic of labour markets in the world with millions of economic units operating and hundreds of millions of workers pursuing their livelihoods in conditions of informality.

The expression “informal economy” encompasses a huge diversity of situations and phenomena. Indeed, the informal economy manifests itself in a variety of forms across and within economies. Formalization process and measures aiming to facilitate transitions to formality need to be tailored to specific circumstances that different countries and categories of economic units or workers face.

The 2002 ILC Resolution and Conclusions on Decent Work and Informal Economy was a milestone in the ILO’s integrated approach to informality. Recommendation concerning the transition from the informal to the formal economy (R204) adopted by the International Labour Conference in June 2015, constitutes a historic landmark for the world of work as it is the first international standard focusing exclusively on the informal economy in its entirety.

EMPINVEST, in collaboration with the ILO Regional Offices and other technical units, is promoting integrated policy framework that facilitates the transitions from the informal to the formal economy through providing technical assistance to the ILO tripartite constituents on the development of such integrated policy framework based on social dialogue, policy oriented research and capacity building activities on the issue of facilitating transition to formality.