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This article was written by WIEGO's International Coordinator, Marty Chen. Introduction: The majority of urban workers in developing countries earn their livelihoods in the informal economy. Therefore, understanding urban informal employment is critical to promoting inclusive cities and reducing...
Abstract: Informal employment represents more than half of nonagricultural employment in most developing regions, contributes to the overall economy, and provides pathways to reduction of poverty and inequality. Support to the informal economy should include the expansion of occupational health and...
Final report for the Technology and the Future of Work Project undertaken by Practical Action and WIEGO with support from the Rockefeller Foundation.
This brief provides a practical guide to collecting and compiling statistics on specific categories of informal workers – home based workers, street vendors, waste pickers and domestic workers. The methods discussed can be used in designing questions in surveys to collect data on these workers. It...
Waste—its generation, collection and disposal—is a major global challenge in the 21st century. This is the lead article of the special issue on Waste of Revista .
Standing for long hours in line to receive your first paycheck may sound pretty stressful. However, for recyclers in Bogotá, their first paycheck was a huge victory after more than twenty years of legal and political struggles—proof of the power of committed partnerships between academics and...
Abstract: The informal workforce represents more than half of all workers in most developing countries and a significant share of workers in developed countries. This paper summarizes the history and forms of organizing informal workers, providing a timeline of organizing, typologies of organization...
At present, there is renewed interest in the informal economy worldwide. This renewed interest has rekindled some of the old debates about the phenomenon. This article addresses two of the core debates: whether or not the informal economy is linked to the formal economy and modern capitalist...
Four out of five urban workers in modern India are engaged in the informal economy, and half of these are self-employed. This article examines what legal reforms are needed for home-based producers, street vendors and waste pickers who together represent one-fifth of the urban workforce. The article...
This report synthesizes qualitative and quantitative data from the first (2012) round of IEMS fieldwork in the home-based work sector in three cities: Ahmedabad, India Bangkok, Thailand Lahore, Pakistan See also: Executive Summary of this report. The Informal Economy Monitoring Study (IEMS) is...
Videos / Slideshows / Audio
Millions of women work long hours, in dangerous conditions, for little pay. They are fighting for change, with the help of ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. Watch this video to learn how.
Workers Education/Organizing Materials
This manual helps street vendors learn more about the regulations that govern public space and how to defend the right to work in public space. It describes successful actions taken by street vendor organizations. And it offers information to help you organize and negotiate with local government.
WIEGO Working Papers
Mike Rogan reviews how informal workers are taxed, why there is growing interest in taxing them, and whether they should be included in the tax net.