News on informal economy

  1. Statement

    H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia. Speech to the 'High-Level Forum on "Working out of Poverty: Decent Work Approach to Development and growth in Africa" in Monrovia on 8-9 September 2008

    14 November 2008

  2. Article

    In Asia, informal work shifts but remains massive

    09 August 2007

    Despite a GDP growth rate twice the world average, more than 1 billion Asians still work in the informal economy. Most lack basic social protection and hold unproductive jobs with low earnings. An ILO report prepared for the Asian Employment Forum held on 13-15 August says the rapid shift from rural and agricultural employment to urban-based manufacturing and service-oriented work in developing Asia will continue and in some countries accelerate. ILO Online reports.

  3. Article

    The spicy taste of entrepreneurship: street food sellers and economic development

    09 February 2007

    In Bangkok, food sold by street vendors provides more than just a cheap and healthy meal. For tens of thousands of people it is a vital source of income and a recipe for reducing poverty. According to a study recently published by the International Labour Organization (ILO), street vendors shouldn't be seen as a nuisance and a traffic obstruction but as entrepreneurs who generate "cultural capital" while building a healthier future for themselves and their families. The study says the right policies and positive social attitudes can benefit not just the vendors and their customers but entire economies as well. ILO Online reports.

  4. Article

    95th session of the International Labour Conference, 2006
    Breaking out of informality: Amina, the Queen of Oranges

    02 June 2006

    With between a half and two-thirds of the world's working women and men outside the formal economy, breaking out of informality is the single biggest challenge for labour market governance worldwide.

  5. Article

    International Women's Day 2006: More, but not always better jobs for women in Latin America

    28 February 2006

    With 33 million women joining the labour market between 1990 and 2004, women now represent 40 per cent of the economically active population in urban areas in Latin America. A recent detailed ILO study of progress achieved in women's labour force participation shows mixed results in terms of access to quality jobs, unemployment, remuneration and social protection. ILO Online reports from Bolivia where women's rights activist Casimira Rodriguez Romero was recently appointed Minister of Justice and Human Rights.