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A Note on Informality in the Labor Market

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  • Khamis, Melanie

    (Wesleyan University)

Abstract

This paper provides a detailed analysis of various dimensions of informality in the Mexican labor market. To understand the nature of informality in terms of regulations and compliance, the legalistic view, and in terms of productivity view of the labor market this paper makes an empirical contribution to the debate in the literature on the concept of informality. Questions related to these various concepts, social security and benefits coverage, contractual information, legal status of migrants, the nature of self-employment and job history information are analyzed in terms of their relationship to each other and are also related to individual and household characteristics. This paper finds a substantial overlap between the various concepts, current legal arrangements of social security coverage or contract and also in the individual's job history. In terms of individual characteristics age, education, martial status and scores in the Raven's test, an ability measure, are significant determinants for the various forms of informality, with some degree of variation across the different categories. Overall, a case is made for further studies of household survey data and the implementation of questions relating to different dimensions of informality and their inter-linkages.

Suggested Citation

  • Khamis, Melanie, 2009. "A Note on Informality in the Labor Market," IZA Discussion Papers 4676, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp4676
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    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Feicheng & Liang, Zhe & Lehmann, Hartmut, 2021. "Import competition and informal employment: Empirical evidence from China," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 426, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    2. Antonio Baez-Morales, 2015. "“Determinants of Micro Firm Informality in Mexican States 2008-2012”," AQR Working Papers 201509, University of Barcelona, Regional Quantitative Analysis Group, revised Apr 2015.
    3. Hermanus Stephanus Geyer Jr, 2023. "Precarious and non-precarious work in the informal sector: Evidence from South Africa," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(10), pages 1915-1931, August.
    4. Jessen, Jonas & Kluve, Jochen, 2021. "The effectiveness of interventions to reduce informality in low- and middle-income countries," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 138.
    5. Ligita Gasparėnienė & Rita Remeikienė & Colin C. Williams, 2022. "Unemployment and the Informal Economy," SpringerBriefs in Economics, Springer, number 978-3-030-96687-4, June.
    6. Oksana Nezhyvenko, 2018. "Informal Employment in Ukraine and European Union Transition Countries," Erudite Ph.D Dissertations, Erudite, number ph18-03 edited by Philippe Adair.
    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. Gustavo A. García & Edgar Julián Muñoz González & Stefany Gallego Ortiz, 2018. "Análisis Espacial de la Informalidad Laboral a Nivel Intra-urbano," Documentos de Trabajo de Valor Público 16499, Universidad EAFIT.
    9. Marti Mestieri & Johanna Schauer & Robert Townsend, 2017. "Human Capital Acquisition and Occupational Choice: Implications for Economic Development," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 25, pages 151-186, April.
    10. Alessia Matano & Moisés Obaco & Vicente Royuela, 2020. "What drives the spatial wage premium in formal and informal labor markets? The case of Ecuador," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(4), pages 823-847, September.
    11. Simon COMMANDER & Natalia ISACHENKOVA & Yulia RODIONOVA, 2013. "Informal employment dynamics in Ukraine: An analytical model of informality in transition economies," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 152(3-4), pages 445-467, December.
    12. Alessia Matano & Moisés Obaco & Vicente Royuela, 2018. "“What drives the spatial wage premium for formal and informal workers? The case of Ecuador”," AQR Working Papers 201806, University of Barcelona, Regional Quantitative Analysis Group, revised Jun 2018.
    13. Juan Carlos Campaña & J. Ignacio Giménez-Nadal & José Alberto Molina, 2020. "Self-employed and Employed Mothers in Latin American Families: Are There Differences in Paid Work, Unpaid Work, and Child Care?," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 52-69, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    self-employment; job history; contracts; illegal migration; social security; informality; Mexico;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J40 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - General
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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