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Informal self-employment in Kazakhstan

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  • Altay Mussurov
  • G Arabsheibani

Abstract

We use data from the Kazakhstan Labour Force Survey (KLFS) for the period 2006–2011 to examine factors that determine informality amongst self-employed men and women. In addition, the paper examines the response of informality propensities to the recent global crisis. The decomposition suggests that the reduction in the predicted probabilities of being informal is mainly attributable to the unexplained component. Individual characteristics have played a relatively small role, except for changes in tenure, hours of work and education. JEL classification: P29, O17 Copyright Mussurov and Arabsheibani. 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Altay Mussurov & G Arabsheibani, 2015. "Informal self-employment in Kazakhstan," IZA Journal of Labor & Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-19, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:izaldv:v:4:y:2015:i:1:p:1-19:10.1186/s40175-015-0031-9
    DOI: 10.1186/s40175-015-0031-9
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Peter Huber & Ulugbek Rahimov, 2017. "The Self-Selection of Workers to the Formal and Informal in Transition Economies: Evidence from Tajikistan," Czech Journal of Economics and Finance (Finance a uver), Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, vol. 67(2), pages 140-164, April.
    2. Altay Mussurov & Dena Sholk & G. Reza Arabsheibani, 2019. "Informal employment in Kazakhstan: a blessing in disguise?," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 9(2), pages 267-284, June.
    3. Jorge, Velilla, 2017. "Feminization of entrepreneurship in developing countries? Evidence from GEM data," MPRA Paper 79997, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Nazim Habibov & Elvin Afandi & Alex Cheung, 2017. "What is the effect of university education on chances to be self-employed in transitional countries?: Instrumental variable analysis of cross-sectional sample of 29 nations," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 487-500, June.
    5. Ligita Gasparėnienė & Rita Remeikienė & Colin C. Williams, 2022. "Unemployment and the Informal Economy," SpringerBriefs in Economics, Springer, number 978-3-030-96687-4, April.
    6. Nazim Habibov & Alena Auchynnikava & Rong Luo, 2021. "Does the height to entrepreneurship nexus have two stages? New evidence from 27 nations," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 11(1), pages 141-152, December.
    7. Ligita Gasparėnienė & Rita Remeikienė & Colin C. Williams, 2022. "Theorizing the Informal Economy," SpringerBriefs in Economics, in: Unemployment and the Informal Economy, chapter 0, pages 7-60, Springer.
    8. Natalya Yemelina & Saule Kemelbayeva & Sergey Roshchin, 2024. "Dynamics of Gender Wage Gap in Kazakhstan for 2011-2019," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 67(1), pages 47-71, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Self-employment; Informality; Gender; Transition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • P29 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Other
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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