COVID-19 and informal work in 11 cities: recovery pathways amidst continued crisis

Alfers, Laura C; Braham, Christy; Chen, Martha A; Grapsa, Erofili; Harvey, Jenna; Ismail, Ghida; Ogando, Ana C; Reed, Sarah O; Roever, Sally; Rogan, Michael; Sinha, Shalini; Skinner, Caroline; Valdivia, Marcela

Title: COVID-19 and informal work in 11 cities: recovery pathways amidst continued crisis
Creator: Alfers, Laura C
Creator: Braham, Christy
Creator: Chen, Martha A
Creator: Grapsa, Erofili
Creator: Harvey, Jenna
Creator: Ismail, Ghida
Creator: Ogando, Ana C
Creator: Reed, Sarah O
Creator: Roever, Sally
Creator: Rogan, Michael
Creator: Sinha, Shalini
Creator: Skinner, Caroline
Creator: Valdivia, Marcela
Subject: To be catalogued
Date Issued: 2022
Date: 2022
Type: text
Type: article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/473850
Identifier: vital:77687
Identifier: https://www.wiego.org/publications/covid-19-and-informal-work-11-cities-recovery-pathways-amidst-continued-crisis
Description: The majority of the global workforce–61%–is informal and has been disproportionately impacted by measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and by the accompanying economic down-turn. The focus on aggregate job and livelihood losses masks the multiple drivers behind these losses that are leaving labour mar-kets in general, but particularly in developing countries, without a viable path to recovery. The global informal workforce is diverse, and understanding experiences of workers in different contexts and sectors is required to design effective recovery policies. This Working Paper reflects the findings from the longitudinal study of nearly 2,000 informal workers in 11 cities around the world. Sur-veys and in-depth interviews were conducted with domestic workers, home-based workers, street vendors and market traders, and waste pickers in mid-2020 and then again in mid-2021. The findings reveal the differentiated pathways of impact and thus re-covery for different groups of informal workers approximately a year and a half into the pandemic. The study shows that the eco-nomic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis remains deep and persistent for workers at the base of the economy. Key findings include: Earnings for informal workers interviewed are still far below their pre-pandemic levels. Most respondents have not fully recovered their ability to work. By mid-2021, the typical worker was only earning 64% of her/his pre-COVID-19 earnings. In addition, the average number of days worked per week was only four in mid-2021, still considerably lower than the 5.5-day average in the pre-pandemic period.
Format: 51 pages
Format: pdf
Language: English
Relation: Institute of Development Studies
Relation: Alfers, L., Braham, C., Chen, M., Grapsa, E., Harvey, J., Ismail, G., Ogando, A.C., Reed, S.O., Roever, S., Rogan, M. and Sinha, S., 2022. COVID-19 and informal work in 11 cities: recovery pathways amidst continued crisis. Manchester: WIEGO
Relation: Institute of Development Studies volume 2022 number 1 1 51 2022 978-92-95122-14-7
Rights: Publisher
Rights: Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Institute of Development Studies Statement (https://www.ids.ac.uk/)

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Alfers, Laura Corrigal (Dr)

Rogan, Michael (Assoc Prof)

SDG 03. Good Health and Well-Being

SDG 08. Decent Work and Economic Growth

RU Department of Economics and Economic History

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