Deux approches macroéconomiques du secteur informel en Equateur

Our purpose is to examine the place and the role of the informal sector in the macroeconomic adjustment mechanisms of under-developed economies where the Market can henceforth be considered as the major way of resource allocation.Starting from one theoretical and empirical though about we provide a conceptual framework to adopt a macroeconomic approach of the informal sector. Then, we choose one specific tool allowing to explain the market mechanisms: the Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models. Two conceptions of the informal sector havebeen developed. The first shows one sector formed by microenterprises of less than five workers,well integrated in the whole economy and acting with competitive considerations. The other showsthe informal sector formed by self-employed workers, barely integrated, and acting withtraditional logic. Ecuador is the general framework of our analysis. Two Social AcountingMatrixs are built, integrating the Ecuadorian informal sector in each alternative way for 1994.They serve as the database for large CGE models destinated to show the macroeconomics role ofthe informal sector such as its effect on the macro-adjustment process or the impact of macro-shocks on these activities. (Full text in French)