Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics | Open Access Articles

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the varying level of employment in informal sector enterprises

across the globe and to undertake an exploratory analysis of the wider economic and social conditions

associated with greater levels of informalization. Examining International Labor Organization surveys

conducted in 43 countries, the finding is that the main job of just under one in three (31.5 percent) nonagricultural

workers is in an informal sector enterprise. Conducting an exploratory analysis of the

correlation between countries with higher levels of employment in informal sector enterprises and

economic under-development (‘modernization’ thesis), higher taxes, corruption and state interference …

The aim of this introductory article is to provide a critical overview of

how informality has been defined and measured, together with selected findings

on its extent and character, and a summary of competing views regarding its role

in contemporary economies and how it can be tackled. The outcome is a set of

conceptual frameworks for understanding both the burgeoning literature on informal

employment and how each of the perspectives presented in this Special Issue

contributes to the advancement of knowledge on this subject so as to set the scene

for the articles that follow.

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