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No Cushion to Fall Back On The Global Economic Crisis and Informal Workers – Full Report

By on August 01, 2009

Much has been said about the impact of the global economic crisis on those employed in the formal economy while its impact on those employed informally – in enterprises and as wage workers – has received little or no attention. Individuals working within the urban informal economy in most developing countries are among the world’s poorest people, often earning less than USD 2 a day.

During June and July of 2009, WIEGO & partners undertook the Global Economic Crisis study that assessed broad changes for home-based workers, street vendors and waste pickers and their households over the previous six months, as well as specific impacts on the three different groups of informal workers. The research shows that informal enterprises and informal wage workers are affected in many of the same ways as formal firms and formal wage workers. Informal workers suffer directly and indirectly from shrinking consumption and declining demand crucial to their livelihoods. Informal wage workers are often the first to be laid off – before those with formal contracts. Informal enterprises and informal wage workers face increased competition as more people enter the informal economy and/or as more and more jobs are informalised.

Fact Sheet available in English here.
Ficha Técnica disponible en español aquí.

Executive Summary available in English here.
Sumário Executivo disponível em português aqui.

Resumen Ejecutivo disponible en español aquí.

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Citation Information

Elena Horn, Zoe. No Cushion to Fall Back On The Global Economic Crisis and Informal Workers – Full Report. , , . WIEGO, 2009. Elena Horn, Z. (2009). No Cushion to Fall Back On The Global Economic Crisis and Informal Workers – Full Report. , , . Elena Horn, Zoe. "No Cushion to Fall Back On The Global Economic Crisis and Informal Workers – Full Report." WIEGO, 2009, .Elena Horn Zoe. "No Cushion to Fall Back On The Global Economic Crisis and Informal Workers – Full Report." (2009). Elena Horn, Z 2009, 'No Cushion to Fall Back On The Global Economic Crisis and Informal Workers – Full Report', . Zoe Elena Horn, 'No Cushion to Fall Back On The Global Economic Crisis and Informal Workers – Full Report' (2009). Elena Horn Z. No Cushion to Fall Back On The Global Economic Crisis and Informal Workers – Full Report. . 2009. Elena Horn, Zoe. No Cushion to Fall Back On The Global Economic Crisis and Informal Workers – Full Report. . 2009. , .

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