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¿Es la política social una causa de la informalidad en México?

Author

Listed:
  • Gerardo Esquivel Hernández

    (El Colegio de México.)

  • Juan Luis Ordaz-Díaz

    (CEPAL.)

Abstract

Levy (2008) has suggested that the expansion of non-targeted social programs could be inducing an increase in economic informality in countries like Mexico. This hypothesis, however, assumes the existence of integrated and competitive labor markets in the economy. In this work we test this assumption for the Mexican case and we find that there is a wage premium in Mexico’s formal labor market. This means that an individual earns a higher wage when she works in the formal sector of the economy than an individual with similar characteristics that works at the informal sector. We therefore conclude that Mexico’s labor market is segmented and that an increase in social programs is not causing an increase in informality in the country.

Suggested Citation

  • Gerardo Esquivel Hernández & Juan Luis Ordaz-Díaz, 2008. "¿Es la política social una causa de la informalidad en México?," Ensayos Revista de Economia, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Facultad de Economia, vol. 0(1), pages 1-32, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:ere:journl:v:xxvii:y:2008:i:1:p:1-32
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    9. Pratap, Sangeeta & Quintin, Erwan, 2006. "Are labor markets segmented in developing countries? A semiparametric approach," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(7), pages 1817-1841, October.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Raymundo M. Campos-Vázquez & Melissa A. Knox, 2013. "Social Protection Programs and Employment: The Case of Mexico's Seguro Popular Program," Economía Mexicana NUEVA ÉPOCA, CIDE, División de Economía, vol. 0(2), pages 403-448, July-Dece.
    2. Cardoso-Vargas, Carlos, 2015. "Potencial de mercado y desigualdad salarial, evidencia para México [Market potential and wage inequality, evidence for Mexico]," MPRA Paper 68424, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 05 Nov 2015.
    3. Cazzuffi, Chiara & Pereira-López, Mariana & Rosales, Irving & Soloaga, Isidro, 2023. "Monopsony Power and Labor Income Inequality in Mexico," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 13044, Inter-American Development Bank.
    4. Cardoso-Vargas, Carlos, 2015. "Potencial de mercado y desigualdad salarial, evidencia para México [Market potential and wage inequality, evidence for Mexico]," MPRA Paper 69696, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 05 Nov 2015.
    5. Mariana Pereira-López, 2014. "Indirect Job Creation and the Informal Sector in Mexico," Working Paper Series Sobre México 2014001, Sobre México. Temas en economía.
    6. Javier Arias & Oliver Azuara & Pedro Bernal & James J. Heckman & Cajeme Villarreal, 2010. "Policies To Promote Growth and Economic Efficiency in Mexico," NBER Working Papers 16554, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Azuara, Oliver & Marinescu, Ioana, 2011. "Informality and the expansion of social protection programs," MPRA Paper 35073, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Brock, Gregory & German-Soto, Vicente, 2017. "Regional industrial informality and efficiency in Mexico, 1990–2013," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 928-941.
    9. Isidro Soloaga & Mariana Pereira, 2013. "Local Multipliers and the Informal Sector in Mexico 2000-2010," Working Papers 0513, Universidad Iberoamericana, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    informal sector; dual economy; social policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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