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THE FUNCTION OF THE URBAN INFORMAL SECTOR IN EMPLOYMENT: Evidence from Colombia 1984-2000

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  • Carmen Elisa Flórez

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze the function of the informal sector in employment, its relationship to urban employment, with illustrative evidence from Colombia. The analysis is done for the period 1984 - 2000, which includes phases of boom and economic crisis as well as the implementation of neoliberal reforms to national development. The paper summarizes four competing approaches to the conceptualization of the informal sector, and describes their measurement strategies. It argues that elements of state regulation are fundamental whereas firm size should not be considered as a defining element. Subsequently, it analyzes how the internal composition of the informal sector evolved, considering elements of state regulation, firm size, and dynamism of the economic activities. It examines the function of the informal sub-sectors in the urban labor market, using indicators such as relative earnings and size, and a crude indicator of labor mobility. At least three sub-sectors conforming the informal sector are identified: salaried workers of large and small firms, entrepreneurs and subsistence workers. It is argued that each sub-sector of the informal sector responds in different ways to prevailing economic conditions. The subsistence sub-sector supports the dualistic view, whereas the other two are integrated to the formal sector. No dominant sub-sector permits broadrange generalizations about the" informal sector."

Suggested Citation

  • Carmen Elisa Flórez, 2002. "THE FUNCTION OF THE URBAN INFORMAL SECTOR IN EMPLOYMENT: Evidence from Colombia 1984-2000," Documentos CEDE 3595, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
  • Handle: RePEc:col:000089:003595
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    1. William Maloney & Jairo Mendez, 2004. "Measuring the Impact of Minimum Wages. Evidence from Latin America," NBER Chapters, in: Law and Employment: Lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean, pages 109-130, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    4. Fajnzylber, Pablo & Maloney, William F. & Ribeiro, Eduardo, 2001. "Firm entry and exit, labor demand, and trade reform : evidence from Chile and Colombia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2659, The World Bank.
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    1. Paula Herrera-Id�rraga & Enrique L�pez-Bazo & Elisabet Motell�n, 2015. "Double Penalty in Returns to Education: Informality and Educational Mismatch in the Colombian Labour Market," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(12), pages 1683-1701, December.
    2. Jhon James Mora & Juan Muro, 2012. "Persistence of informality in a developing country," Borradores de Economía y Finanzas 9593, Universidad Icesi.
    3. Guataquí R., Juan Carlos & García S., Andrés Felipe & Rodríguez A., Mauricio, 2010. "El Perfil de la Informalidad Laboral en Colombia," Perfil de Coyuntura Económica, Universidad de Antioquia, CIE, November.
    4. Paula Herrera-Idárraga & Enrique López-Bazo & Elisabet Motellón, 2012. "Informality and overeducation in the labor market of a developing country," Working Papers XREAP2012-20, Xarxa de Referència en Economia Aplicada (XREAP), revised Nov 2012.
    5. Andrea P. Vel�squez Guijo, 2008. "The formality in property rights: determinant in the military strategy of armed actors," HiCN Working Papers 39, Households in Conflict Network.
    6. Diana Marcela Jiménez, 2012. "La informalidad laboral en América Latina: ¿explicación estructuralista o institucionalista?," Revista Cuadernos de Economia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, FCE, CID, December.
    7. Chaudhuri, Sarbajit & Mukhopadhyay, Ujjaini, 2009. "Revisiting the Informal Sector: A General Equilibrium Approach," MPRA Paper 52135, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Bateman, Milford, 2013. "The age of microfinance: Destroying Latin American economies from the bottom up," Working Papers 39, Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE).
    9. Paola Roldán Vásquez & Carlos Ospino Hernández, 2009. "¿Quiénes terminan en la informalidad?: Impacto de las características y el tiempo de búsqueda," Revista de Economía del Caribe 7124, Universidad del Norte.
    10. Jhon James Mora & Juan Muro, 2017. "Dynamic Effects of the Minimum Wage on Informality in Colombia," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 31(1), pages 59-72, March.
    11. Albert Ayorinde Abegunde, 2017. "Accomplishment Index Analysis of the Sociophysical Activities of Community-Based Organizations in a Postconflict Area of Africa," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(2), pages 21582440177, June.
    12. Luis E. Arango & Luz A. Flórez, 2017. "Informalidad laboral y elementos para un salario mínimo diferencial por regiones en Colombia," Borradores de Economia 1023, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    13. Lacey Ann Wrubel, 2010. "Earnings determinants for own-account workers in the urban informal economy: The case of Bogotá, Colombia," Serie de Documentos en Economía y Violencia 6842, Centro de Investigaciones en Violencia, Instituciones y Desarrollo Económico (VIDE).
    14. Burbano Vallejo, Edy Lorena & Castro Aristizabal, Geovanny & Castillo Caicedo, Maribel, 2021. "What determines own-account work in Colombia? Some empirical evidence for the years 2010 and 2013 || ¿Qué determina el trabajo por cuenta propia en Colombia? Una evidencia empírica para los años 2010 ," Revista de Métodos Cuantitativos para la Economía y la Empresa = Journal of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, vol. 32(1), pages 274-299, December.

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    Keywords

    Informalidad; empleo;

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