The COVID-19 pandemic has put inequality back on top of the international agenda. Despite a pre-pandemic modest decrease in the number of people living in extreme poverty, the COVID-19 pandemic saw, for the first time in 21 years, the number of extremely poor people increase by about 224 million people between March and December 2020. At the same time, the wealth of billionaires increased by over USD3.9 trillion.
What gets missed in the analysis of global inequality, however, is the question of informal employment. This paper will demonstrate how inequality causes informality. We conclude with a set of demands that we urge the committee on Inequalities and the world of work (ILC 2021, 25 Nov-10 Dec) to take into account in drafting its conclusions.