Abstracts are available below for World Bank papers on the informal sector. Click on the title to read the article in its entirety:

1. The Informal Economy and LED: What is the Informal Economy?
   The Informal Economy and Local Economic Development: What is the Informal Economy? The easiest definition of the informal economy is based on a description of the location within which actors operate. Four categories of actors are identified: Home based workers 1 Dependent home-base workers have the following characteristics: they work at home outside the establishment that buys their products; they agree by prior arrangement to supply goods o...
   
   
2. The Informal Economy and LED: Tensions and Concerns
   The Informal Economy and Local Economic Development: Tensions and Concerns Is addressing the informal economy very different from addressing the formal economy? The answer to this question is Yes and No. The 'methodology' of addressing the informal economy is similar to that of addressing the formal economy. However, the informal economy often requires special attention as it operates under different sets of assumptions, procedures, and conditions: Th...
   
   
3. The Economics of the Informal Sector: a Simple Model and Some Empirical Evidence from Latin America
   Economic Growth Research The Economics of the Informal Sector: a Simple Model and Some Empirical Evidence from Latin America by Norman Loayza Abstract This paper presents the view that the informal economy arises when excessive taxes and regulations are imposed by governments that lack the capability to enforce compliance. The determinants and effects of the informal sector are studied in an endogenous growth...
   
   
4. Ghana : Financial services for women entrepreneurs in the informal sector
   - Findings No. 136 - The World Bank Shimwaayi Muntemba Ghana : Financial services for women entrepreneurs in the informal sector No. 138 July 1999 Findings occasionally reports on development initiatives not assisted by the World Bank. This article is one such effort. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank Group, the Government of Ghana, or the banks and NGOs mentioned. Uganda :Using surveys...
   
   
5. The Informal Economy and LED: Trends and Statictics
   The Informal Economy and Local Economic Development: Share of Informal Sector in Non-Agricultural Workforce, Female and Male, and Share of Women in Informal Sector Source: The United Nations, 2000. The World's Women 2000: Trends and Statistic. Chart 5.13, p.122....
   
   
6. The Informal Economy and LED: Stage One
   The Informal Economy and Local Economic Development: Stage One: The Informal Economy and Organizing the Effort The participation of those in the informal economy within a broader strategic planning process is crucial. The level of organization of informal economy actors varies in different cities around the world. Where these are available, they form the first foray into an integration of informal economy actors into strategic planning and decision making within t...
   
   
7. The Informal Economy and LED: Stage Two
   The Informal Economy and Local Economic Development: Stage Two: Capturing the Informal Economy in the Competitive Assessment In order to integrate the informal economy into a LED strategic planning process, the following information is useful: How much does the informal economy contribute to the aggregate city economy? This data is crucial in determining the importance of the informal economy to the city economy. Which sectors within the informal economy are most...
   
   
8. Highlights of the Panel Discussions - Panel 3 - The Role of the Informal Sector
   Panel 3 - The Role of the Informal Sector. Overview Issues Notes on Key Topics Panel Discussions Concluding Session and the Road Ahead Reactions Sought en español portugese Papers delivered: Juan Pablo Perez Sainz, "Notes on Informality and Urban Poverty in Latin America" Gustavo Riofrio, "The Role of the Informal Sector: Three Refle...
   
   
9. The Informal Economy and LED: Stage Four
   The Informal Economy and Local Economic Development: Stage Four: Implementation and the Informal Economy The following are some policy and program areas that a local government could examine in addressing the informal eocnomy within a LED strategic planning process: Local Government Infrastructure Issues Hives/incubators for assisting high growth informal economy sectors Markets (within this include allocations policy, rentals, etc.) Infrastructure provision for...
   
   
10. Implementing LED: The Informal Economy and LED
    Implementing LED: The Informal Economy and LED Background to the informal economy What is the informal economy? Why is the informal economy important? What are the main problems faced by those in the informal economy? The Informal Economy and the LED process Tensions and concerns in addressing the informal economy Stage One: The informal economy and organizing the effort Stage Two: Capturing the informal economy in the competitive assessment Stage Three: S...
    
    
11. The Informal and LED: Why is the Informal Economy Important?
    The Informal Economy and Local Economic Development: Why is the Informal Economy Important? The informal economy is a growing part of local and national economies. (See trends and statistic data) Although incomes are frequently low, collectively they are valuable. Informal economies can contribute directly to poverty reduction. It secures the livelihoods of a large proportion of the population. Data on levels of incomes earned by street vendor...
    
    
12. The Informal Sector
    The Institutional Framework of Tax Administration: The Informal Sector Tax Policy & Administration Main Topics: Institutional Framework of Tax Policy, Designing Tax Structure, Institutional Framework of Tax Administration, Tax Administration, Evaluating Tax Policy & Administration, The Informal Sector Key Readings: Black Market and Optimal Evadable Taxation Evasion Self-Employment, Tax Evasion, and the Underground Economy: Micro-based E...
    
    
13. The Informal Economy and LED: Main Problems
    The Informal Economy and Local Economic Development: Main Problems Faced by those in the Informal Economy Those in the informal economy are faced with many problems. Here are some of the main ones, as they affect local government. Infrastructure Issues Poor infrastructure. Poor infrastructure affects street vendors and home-based workers differently. For street vendors, needed infrastructure includes formal markets and other street furniture such as benches a...