Livelihoods

A Re-Examination of the Urban Informal Sector in West Africa

Paying Waste Pickers for Environmental Services: A Critical Examination of Options Proposed in Brazil

This Brief synthesizes the main conclusions of the research and the methodology proposed by the Brazilian Institute for Applied Economic...

Urban Livelihoods and Food and Nutrition Security in Greater Accra, Ghana

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Research Report, No. 112

On the Charts, Off the Tracks: Disconnected Development in Ambur Town, Tamil Nadu Economic and Political Weekly

This paper on Ambur town of Tamil Nadu, an important hub for leather goods production, catering primarily to an international market, explores...

Perceptions of Costs and Benefits of Informal-Formal Linkages: Market and Street Vendors in Accra, Ghana

This paper investigates ways in which linkages between the informal and formal segments of an economy yield benefits to, or impose costs...

Home-Based Workers and Cities

This special issue on urban livelihoods was developed in collaboration with WIEGO.   Abstract: This paper explores the impact of local government...

A Beijing Recycler’s Life

This video follows recyclers in Beijing and shares the work they have been doing for 20 years. The video is in Chinese with English subtitles....

Building a More Inclusive and Prosperous Dakar: Recommendations from Informal Workers

For street vendors, finding water and toilets isn’t just a nuisance, it’s cutting into earnings

Inadequate infrastructure – particularly related to clean water and toilets – and the cost of accessing these takes a heavy toll...

Public Dialogue on Forging a Path towards Recognition and Inclusion of Informal Workers in South Africa

“We’re here to discuss one of the most profound challenges of our time—how to create jobs, how to increase incomes, and how to...