Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Are Large Informal Firms More Productive Than The Small Informal Firms? Evidence From Firm-Level Surveys In Africa, Mohammad Amin, Asif Islam May 2015

Are Large Informal Firms More Productive Than The Small Informal Firms? Evidence From Firm-Level Surveys In Africa, Mohammad Amin, Asif Islam

Mohammad Amin

Using data for over 500 informal or unregistered firms in seven countries in Africa, this study explores how labor productivity varies between small and large informal firms. We find robust evidence that small informal firms have higher labor productivity than large informal firms. Thus, even though poor performance of informal firms is typically attributed to their small size vis-à-vis registered or formal sector firms, incremental increases in the size of informal firms does not necessarily imply a narrowing of the formal-informal firm productivity gap.


The Time Cost Of Documents To Trade, Mohammad Amin, Asif Islam Jan 2015

The Time Cost Of Documents To Trade, Mohammad Amin, Asif Islam

Mohammad Amin

The paper shows that the number of documents required to export and import tend to increase the time cost of shipments. However, this relationship is far from simplistic, varying sharply in magnitude depending on the income level and the size of the country. Specifically, the increase in the time cost of increased documentation is much larger for countries that are relatively poor and large in size. One interpretation of this finding is that the relatively rich countries that have more resources and the relatively small countries that rely more on trade invest more in building efficient documentation systems. Hence, increased …


Online Appendix For: Does Mandating Non-Discrimination In Hiring Practices Influence Women’S Employment? Evidence Using Firm-Level Data, Mohammad Amin, Asif Islam Jan 2015

Online Appendix For: Does Mandating Non-Discrimination In Hiring Practices Influence Women’S Employment? Evidence Using Firm-Level Data, Mohammad Amin, Asif Islam

Mohammad Amin

This is the online Appendix for the paper titled "Does Mandating Non-discrimination in Hiring Practices Influence Women’s Employment? Evidence Using Firm-level Data" that is forthcoming in Feminist Economics.