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Exploring Trends in Labor Informality in Latin America, 1990-2010

Author

Listed:
  • Leopoldo Tornarolli

    (CEDLAS, FCE - UNLP)

  • Diego Battistón

    (CEDLAS, FCE - UNLP)

  • Leonardo Gasparini

    (CEDLAS, FCE - UNLP)

  • Pablo Gluzmann

    (CEDLAS, FCE - UNLP)

Abstract
Labor informality is a pervasive characteristic of the labor markets in Latin America, and a central issue in the public policy debate. This paper discusses the concept of labor informality and implements alternative definitions using microdata from around 300 national household surveys in all Latin American countries. The analysis covers two decades: while labor informality, defined as lack of social protection related to employment, remained with few changes in the 1990s, there is a discernible downward pattern during the 2000s in most countries. These movements reveal a counter-cyclical behavior of labor informality, that may be linked to segmentation in the labor market.

Suggested Citation

  • Leopoldo Tornarolli & Diego Battistón & Leonardo Gasparini & Pablo Gluzmann, 2014. "Exploring Trends in Labor Informality in Latin America, 1990-2010," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0159, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
  • Handle: RePEc:dls:wpaper:0159
    as

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    File URL: http://cedlas.econo.unlp.edu.ar/archivos_upload/doc_cedlas159.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kanbur, Ravi, 2009. "Conceptualising Informality: Regulation and Enforcement," IZA Discussion Papers 4186, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Fugazza, Marco & Fiess, Norbert M. & Maloney, William, 2002. "Exchange rate appreciations, labor market rigidities, and informality," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2771, The World Bank.
    3. Jaime Saavedra & Alberto Chong, 1999. "Structural reform, institutions and earnings: Evidence from the formal and informal sectors in urban Peru," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(4), pages 95-116.
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    5. Maloney, William F, 1999. "Does Informality Imply Segmentation in Urban Labor Markets? Evidence from Sectoral Transitions in Mexico," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 13(2), pages 275-302, May.
    6. Gasparini Leonardo & Leonardo Tornaroli, 2009. "Labor Informality in Latin America and the Caribbean: Patterns and Trends from Household Survey Microdata," Revista Desarrollo y Sociedad, Universidad de los Andes,Facultad de Economía, CEDE, September.
    7. Maloney, William F., 2004. "Informality Revisited," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(7), pages 1159-1178, July.
    8. Portes, Alejandro & Blitzer, Silvia & Curtis, John, 1986. "The urban informal sector in Uruguay: Its internal structure, characteristics, and effects," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 14(6), pages 727-741, June.
    9. Habib, Bilal & Narayan, Ambar & Olivieri, Sergio & Sanchez-Paramo, Carolina, 2010. "Assessing poverty and distributional impacts of the global crisis in the Philippines : a microsimulation approach," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5286, The World Bank.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Cristina Fernández & Leonardo Villar, 2016. "A Taxonomy of Colombia’s Informal Labor Market," Coyuntura Económica, Fedesarrollo, vol. 46(1), pages 15-50, June.
    2. Alfredo Schclarek & Mauricio Caggia, 2017. "Household saving and labor informality: the case of Chile," Journal Economía Chilena (The Chilean Economy), Central Bank of Chile, vol. 20(3), pages 052-080, December.
    3. Roxana Maurizio & Ana Paula Monsalvo, 2021. "Informality, labour transitions, and the livelihoods of workers in Latin America," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-19, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Verónica Amarante & Rodrigo Arim & Mijail Yapor, 2016. "Decomposing inequality changes in Uruguay: the role of formalization in the labor market," IZA Journal of Labor & Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 5(1), pages 1-20, December.
    5. Matías Ciaschi, 2020. "Job loss and household labor supply adjustments in developing countries: Evidence from Argentina," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0271, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
    6. Berniell, Inés & Berniell, Lucila & Mata, Dolores de la & Edo, María & Marchionni, Mariana, 2021. "Gender gaps in labor informality: The motherhood effect," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    7. Rodrigo R. Soares & Daniel Haanwinckel, 2017. "Fighting employment informality with schooling," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 394-394, October.
    8. Mariana Marchionni & Julián Pedrazzi, 2023. "The Last Hurdle? Unyielding Motherhood Effects in the Context of Declining Gender Inequality in Latin America," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0321, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
    9. Gustavo Canavire-Bacarreza & Luis C. Carvajal-Osorio, 2020. "Two Stories of Wage Dynamics in Latin America: Different Policies, Different Outcomes," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 128-168, June.
    10. Daniel Haanwinckel & Rodrigo R Soares, 2021. "Workforce Composition, Productivity, and Labour Regulations in a Compensating Differentials Theory of Informality [Search with Multi-worker Firms]," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 88(6), pages 2970-3010.
    11. Joshua Wassink, 2018. "Is Local Social Development Associated with Workforce Composition? A Municipal Analysis of Mexico, 1990–2015," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(6), pages 941-966, December.
    12. Fairris, David & Jonasson, Erik, 2016. "Determinants of Changing Informal Employment in Brazil, 2000–2010," MPRA Paper 71475, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Garganta, Santiago & Gasparini, Leonardo, 2015. "The impact of a social program on labor informality: The case of AUH in Argentina," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 99-110.
    14. Santiago Garganta & Leonardo Gasparini & Mariana Marchionni, 2017. "Cash transfers and female labor force participation: the case of AUH in Argentina," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 6(1), pages 1-22, December.

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