Informality : exit and exclusion / Guillermo E. Perry ... [and others].

Format:

Book

Government document

Contributor:

Perry, Guillermo.

Series:

World Bank Latin American and Caribbean studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Informal sector (Economics).

Physical Description:

xv, 248 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : World Bank, [2007]

Summary:

Informality is a manifestation of a flawed relationship between citizens and their state. While the term means different things to different people, it almost always has negative connotations-including inferior working conditions, low productivity businesses, unfair competition, and disrespect for the rule of law. It is not surprising then that the rise observed in informality in Latin American and Caribbean countries over recent decades has garnered attention as a potential brake on improvements in growth and social welfare, and as a force corrosive to the integrity of society.

Informality: Exit and Exclusion analyzes informality in Latin America, exploring root causes and reasons for and implications of its growth. The authors use two distinct but complementary lenses: informality driven by "exclusion" from state benefits or the circuits of the modern economy, and driven by voluntary "exit" decisions resulting from private cost-benefit calculations that lead workers and firms to opt out of formal institutions. They find both lenses have considerable explanatory power to understand the causes and consequences of informality in the region. Informality: Exit and Exclusion concludes that reducing informality levels and overcoming the "culture of informality" will require actions to increase aggregate productivity in the economy, reform poorly designed regulations and social policies, and increase the legitimacy of the state by improving the quality and fairness of state institutions and policies. Although the study focuses on Latin America, its analysis, approach, and conclusions are relevant for all developing countries. Informality: Exit and Exclusion will be of value to professionals and academics studying labor market, social protection, tax, microenterprise development, and urban public policies, and to those working in government, international organizations, research institutions, and universities.

Contents:

The informal sector : what is it, why do we care, and how do we measure it?

The razón de ser of the informal worker

Informality, earnings, and welfare

The informal labor market in motion : dynamics, cycles, and trends

Microfirm dynamics and informality

Informality, productivity, and the firm

Informality, social protection, and antipoverty policies

The informal sector and the state : institutions, inequality, and social norms.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9780821370926

0821370928

9780821370933

0821370936

OCLC:

122424984